The institutionalization of Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) in Brazil: organic and fair trade initiatives

Summary

Since the nineties the Brazilian organic movements have been looking for alternatives to certification. They have argued that in and of itself or alone certification of family farms and small enterprise is not enough to promote either the learning processes associated with organic production or stimulate development of the local market. The discussion on a Brazilian System for Fair Trade began in 2004, and PGS were considered helpful for organizing farmers, providing guarantees and improving the market. In 2007, a draft of PGS regulation for use in organic was elaborated. The same actors who helped build the Organic System are also discussing Fair Trade System. With the help of public resources, NGOs and family farmers have established systems that provide credibility to consumers with regard to organic qualities and fair trade criteria. The use of PGS is a trend for family farmers trying to access quality markets and also helps participatory research. To some, one perceived challenge is to integrate the two policies (organic and fair trade) since the target publics are similar and the international cooperation agencies give support to both. However, current international initiatives for regulating PGS do not take into account the position of local movements. In the nineties a strategy blind to such a weakness split the organic movements in Latin America and it is unlikely that a similar strategy will promote harmonization or equivalence in the future.