Consumers often wonder whether the products they want to buy are genuinely produced according to organic standards. They can rely on an external body (private or governmental) to provide that assurance, or depend on a system of organizations and individuals involved in the production, distribution, consumption, or use of organic products to guarantee the product's organic quality. An assurance system based on the participation of organizations and individuals directly involved in the organic supply chain is known as a Participatory Guarantee System — PGS.
PGS around the World
PGS Models and Local Characteristics
Currently around the world, dozens of participatory systems serve farmers and consumers, from Western countries such as New Zealand and the United States to Asian nations like India and Thailand, as well as Latin American countries like Brazil and Peru. In all these countries, farmers and consumers have built PGS systems that ultimately serve their own communities.
Naturally, PGS systems across countries differ in methodologies and procedures because they are adapted to local realities (community, geographical, political, and market contexts). Nevertheless, the core principles remain remarkably consistent across different PGS systems.
How Does PGS Differ from Third-Party Certification?
PGS shares the common goal with external certification bodies of providing a credible assurance system for consumers seeking organic products. The difference lies in the approach: PGS systems encourage or even require the direct participation of farmers and consumers in the certification process.
Direct involvement helps PGS programs streamline paperwork and record-keeping requirements — this plays a crucial role in enabling smallholder farmers within the organic production system to participate while keeping certification costs low.
PGS in Vietnam
In 2004, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) recognized PGS as a valid assurance system for organic products, particularly for domestic markets. IFOAM subsequently established a dedicated task force to further develop the PGS methodology.
With support from members of this task force, the ADDA-VNFU project introduced the PGS concept to producers, traders, and consumers collaborating with the project, as well as to researchers and local non-governmental organizations. The partners reached a consensus to implement PGS as the guarantee system for their organic products in October 2008 — marking the establishment of PGS Vietnam.
Need Advice on PGS Certification?
Contact the PGS Vietnam Coordination Committee for support.
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