Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) An Approach for Organic Quality Management
1. 1
Participatory Guarantee System (PGS)
An Approach for Organic Quality Management
What?
Why?
How?
Tu Thi Tuyet Nhung
Vietnam PGS President
National Consultant TA8163 IFOAM-ADB Prj
2. What?
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS)
is quality assurance initiatives
It emphasize the participation of
stakeholders, including producers and
consumers a long supply chain
It operate outside the frame of third
party certification but the same process
It is for small scale farmer and relevant
for local markets
3. 3
MARD issued a national standards for organic
production and processing (TCN10-2006), but no
certification system for organic
Consumers lose their trust in “clean/safe” products
and lack knowledge of qualities organic products
IFOAM adopted the PGS (2004) as a guarantee
system for small holders to help them sell organic
products in local markets.
In 2008, Stakeholders agreed to set up PGS for
organic farmers selling products under the ADDA
prj (ADDA-VNFU prj 2005-2012)
Why PGS in Vietnam
4. Key Elements of the PGS System
Farm Family
Producer Group
Inter - Group
Coordination
Group
The size of the boxes is proportionate to the level
of responsibility in PGS certification.
Farmers
Consumers
Local Organization
(FU, WU, NGOs, …)
Traders
Gov agency
Scientist .....
5. System in PGS
Organization, people, rules, a mechanism test,
verification tools and methodologies for non-
compliance
Management systems are documented with forms,
databases, signs and labels
Farmers are organized into groups voluntarily
Inter-group make linkage between the local
producer groups create a network
Coordination Group responsibility for overall
governance regards to the integrity of the system
and the PGS standards
6. PGS guarantee Organic quality (group)
Participation and Cross check are the
essential and dynamic of PGSs.
Farmers join in groups, attending training
and sign pledge complying PGS rules and
standards
Farmers with stakeholders are involved
directly in monitoring, auditing and making
decision
Non-compliance of Individual means all
group has been dealt with violence.
7. PGS guarantee quality (Inter-Group)
Inter-group responsible for the day-to-day
activities of groups be long to
Coordinate monitoring acts and peer review
among groups regularly and randomly
Review inspection report and decide who will be
certified or the actions to address non-compliance
issues
Random sampling for residue testing and has
right to dealt with group’s violations
Maintain monthly meeting to support and solve
problems timely
8. PGS guarantee quality
(Coordination Committee-PGS.CC)
PGS.CC who will be selected at the annual general
meeting for a term of two years take responsibility for
the intergrity of overall system
Coordination Committee include the volunteer
members have capacity and technical knowlede.
In order to protect the PGS seal the Coordination
Group will have the right to check the internal workings
of both the Producer and Inter-Groups
PGS.CC will also issue the certificates and have the
right to withhold certification
Suspension of whole inter-group if repeated violation
threatening the PGS integrity
9. 9
Develop Market
It is very important factor to motivate production
Link producer groups to retailers/traders
Organize talk show/workshop/social marketing
campaign, fairs, media… to Increase awareness
among consumers/people increased demand
Develop supply chain of organic vegetable:
Organic PGS products sell through different
channel: Special shop, home delivery, online…
Organize tours of consumers/students/school for
sharing and learning on organic farming
10. 10
Organic supply chain in Hanoi
Growing interest in organic vegetable among consumers
Increase the volume of sale
- 2009: 8 -10 tons/month with 7,6 ha of 11 FGs
- 2012- 2013: 20 – 25 tons/month
- 2014: 328 tons (27 tons/month)
- 2015: 220 tons/6 months with 26,8 ha/41 FGs
More retailers seeking organic products, register as PGS
member and pay fee to run PGS
- 2009: 4 retailers
- 2013: 9 retailers with > 25 outlets
- 2014: 12 retailers with 35 outlets in Hanoi city
- 2015: 9 retailers with 45 outlets
PGS operating a long supply chain to ensure quality from farm
to table. Checking shops/agencies by volunteers
11. 11
Outputs of the PGS
PGS significantly raised the awareness and capacity of
farmers and stakeholders on food safety issue
Created grass root networks where farmer show up their
responsibility for community and securing food safety
Sharing responsibilities and benefits between trader and
farmer of monitoring and quality guarantee a long
product chain (pay fee)
An effective guarantee with low cost for small farmer as
well as for people meet to share and learn
Not only increase income per month (50-100%) but also
improve relationship among community
More provinces are interest and adopt PGS (Hoi An city,
Ben Tre province, Ho Chi Minh city)
12. 1212
Constraints
PGS is still has not yet recognized by government
even it has showed many advantages for
enhancing small-scale production.
AGS is not business Not many people know
including government
PGS has not yet to receive support from
government as a local market guarantee.
Limited consumer awareness of PGS/organic
Difficulty in scaling-up PGS if its without support
from government for land policy.