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Participatory Guarantee Systems in Organic AgricultureTHE IMPORTANCE OF INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATIONS

3eme Conférence Ouest Africaine sur l’agriculture biologique

Cotonou, Bénin 27-29 août 2014

Dr. Allison Loconto (INRA/FAO)Dr. Pilar Santacoloma (FAO)Anne Sophie Poisot (FAO)Marcello Vicovaro (FAO)

Innovations in linking sustainable practices with markets• How do standards and market-based mechanisms

act as incentives for the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices?

• Focus on institutional innovations:▫Novel ways of organizing public and private actors,

organizations, institutions (including rules/regulations)

• Voluntary standards are “one of the most innovative and startling institutional designs of the past 50 years” (Cashore et al., 2004: 4)

Method•Call for proposals launched in September 2013

▫87 proposals, 15 case studies selected▫4 Latin America & Caribbean, 6 African, 5 Asian▫10 Organic, 3 integrated production systems, 2

IPM based▫3 Community Supported Agriculture, 6 Multi-

actor Innovation Platforms; 6 Participatory Guarantee Schemes

•To date, field visits to 7 case studies, interviews with authors, peer-review and document analysis

BoliviaHugo Chambilla S. & Eduardo López R.“Mercados Campesinos” AVSF/AOPEB

• National Constitution:▫ Food Sovreignty▫ Participatory decision-making on

environmental issues▫ Valorization of small farmers

• National regulation for Organic▫ 2006 - Export = 3PC, Domestic =

PGS▫ Registration with Food Safety

Authority• Municipal level

▫ PGS integrated into municipal level committees

▫ Municipal extension officer in organic

▫ Monthly ‘fieras’• Local adaptation

▫ Focus on native crops (e.g., quinoa, potatoes)

▫ Creation of local input markets▫ Farmer to farmer training

ColombiaOscar NietoFamilia de la Tierra

• National Regulation for Organic▫ 1999 - 3PC + ICS for groups

(2004 – label)▫ 2014/15 -Ministry of

Agriculture is creating a PGS registry

• District level▫ 2012 – District of Bogotá

declared GMO-free▫ Initiating public procurement

of organic (including from PGS)

▫ Bio-fairs• Local adaptation

▫ Cooking school, restaurants, specialty stores

▫ Native seeds (e.g., beans, mais)

▫ DIY Soil testing

IndiaAshish GuptaPGS Organic Council, India

• National Regulation for Organic▫ 2004 - National Project on

Organic Farming (NPOF) ▫ 3PC through the Ministry of

Commerce▫ 2011 - NPOF PGS – authorized

PGS and capacity building • Nationally Federated system

▫ 12 Facilitation Councils▫ 587 Local Farmer Groups

Marketing is farmer-led Production support is NGO-led

▫ 5925 Farmer Families• Local adaptations

▫ Ayurveda and Unani medicine▫ Local language▫ No parallel production allowed▫ Native seeds

The PhilippinesCarmen CablingQuezon Participatory Guarantee System

• National level▫ Organic Act of 2010

Organic Certification Standards of the Philippines (OCCP) 2005

Only 3PC authorized - Moratorium until 2016

▫ Recognition of outstanding organic implementers

▫ Focal persons for organic at all levels

▫ PGS Philippinas• Province level

▫ 2011 - QPGS as the first multi-stakeholder PGS

▫ League of Organic Agriculture in Municipalities (LOAM)

▫ Weekend Organic Markets• Local adaptation

▫ Diversified integrated farming▫ Random chemical residue testing▫ Provincial agriculturalist +

University collaboration

NamibiaManjo Smith & Stephen BarrowNamibian Organic Association & Afrisco Certified Organic

• National Constitution▫ Ecosystem

conservation/maintenance• National Level

▫ 1995 - Ag Policy: “Agricultural growth will not be pursued at the expense of the environment.”

▫ Informal recognition by the Namibian Standards Authority

• Sub-national level▫ Strong support by large

commercial farmers▫ Transparency + label = trust▫ ~30,000 ha certified (11 farms)

• Local adaptation▫ Biological farming + Holistic

Management + Biodynamic▫ High standards to meet well

informed consumers

UgandaJulie Nakalanda & Irene KugonzaFreshVeggies PGS & NOGAMU

• Regional Level▫ 2007 - East African Organic

Products Standard (EAOPS)▫ PGS norm

• National Level▫ Promotion and training from

NOGAMU• District Level

▫ Building on SACCOs▫ Using social media to create

markets• Consumer-led production

approach providing healthy/ difficult to find products

• Local adaptations▫ ‘dos and don’ts’▫ 3 local medicinal plants▫ Rotating responsibilities

PGS facilitates collective marketing“putting ‘culture’ back into agriculture”

• Farmers’ markets and Fieras▫Bolivia, Colombia, India, Namibia, Philippines

• Box-schemes ▫Colombia, Namibia, Uganda

• Hospitality industry (restaurants, hotels, tourism)▫Colombia, Namibia, Uganda

• Public procurement (schools, hospitals, prisons)▫Bolivia, Colombia, Philippines

• Input markets (seeds, biofertilizers)▫Bolivia, Colombia, India

Lessons learned• Lack of national legislation has allowed private actors time to

gain legitimacy▫ But there are also legal challenges that can be brought by the

use of ‘organic’ labels if PGS is not recognized at the national level (e.g., Philippines)

• Continuous capacity building is fundamental▫ Some use rotating responsibilities, others use formal training

• Cost reduction is an important motivation for developing PGS ▫ But reliance on volunteers doesn’t consider the ‘time’ costs.

Some PGS have begun to charge a small fee.• PGS have created multiple layers of oversight

▫ None of the PGS rely on self-certification alone (self-claims dilute trust)

• Smallholder inclusion in the value chain is crucial▫ Not only as producers, but also as implementers of a system

(certification)

Conclusions• Collaboration needed among ministries (Agriculture,

Commerce, Development, Environment)▫ Competent agencies under multiple ministries

coordinate/regulate Organic & PGS ▫ Multi-level separation of competencies/responsibilities is

important

• The size of the market is still small, but it is innovative▫ Local consumers are not well informed of organics or PGS ▫ Informed consumers look for ‘healthy’ products▫ Labels and direct marketing are key▫ Need organic input supply ‘markets’ to develop alongside

PGS

Thank you et Merci beaucoup

allison.loconto@fao.org

www.fao.org/ag/ags/www.inra-ifris.org