Preliminary Results Of The Global Comparative Study On Interactions Between PGS and Social Processes

Summary

Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) are viable organic verification systems complementary alternative to third party certification. This paper evaluates the interactions between PGS and social processes (e.g. seed management) and identifies how both PGS and social processes can play a trigger role to improve livelihoods of rural communities worldwide and particularly in the Peruvian Andes. It draws from in-depth interviews with 84 PGS women and men farmers from eight selected PGS initiatives in India, Philippines, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, Brazil and France, as well as 24 stakeholders involved in the development of PGS. Preliminary results show that PGS is an important platform for the development of social processes and that social processes positively impact PGS initiatives in different ways, thereby improving the sustainability of the PGS. Moreover, the results demonstrate so far that the entry into PGS offers farmers, farm families and their communities a range of benefits: improved social bonds at the local level; farmer empowerment; reduction in the costs of farming; better market access and regular sales; increased farm incomes; enhanced food security; improved management of local natural resources.
The final detailed research report will be available November 2013 and will include guidance on conditions under which a PGS is likely to become successful and recommendations for farmers, policy makers, researchers and the organic movement.