Participatory Guarantee Systems
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS), as defined by IFOAM, are "locally focused quality assurance systems. They certify producers based on active participation of stakeholders and are built on a foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge exchange."[1] They represent an alternative to third party certification,[2] especially adapted to local markets and short supply chains. They can also complement third party certification with a private label that brings additional guarantees and transparency. PGS enable the direct participation of producers, consumers and other stakeholders in:
- the choice and definition of the standards
- the development and implementation of certification procedures
- the certification decisions
Participatory Guarantee Systems are also referred to as "participatory certification".[3]
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and the organic movement remain a leader[4] in the concept of PGS at the international level. IFOAM is running a program to recognize PGS in the organic sector. PGS is a tool that can be adopted not only for organic agriculture but is useful in various sectors.