Farmers back expanded organic certification system

MANILA, Philippines – Concerned groups are working to democratize organic certification in the Philippines through the recognition of the PGS or the Participatory Guarantee System.

Farmer-scientist group MASIPAG wants the PGS to be considered as a form of organic certification system.

“Organic certification is crucial to ascertain the integrity of an organic product.

However, Republic Act 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Law of 2010 only recognizes third-party certification as the only organic certification system to be used in the country.

The law excludes other forms of certification including PGS,” MASIPAG national coordinator Chito Medina said.

Medina expressed optimism about the growing interest in adopting the PGS.

“The growing number of farmers’ organizations and sectors adopting PGS as a form of organic certification is proof that PGS is a viable and credible organic certification system. We are growing steadily and we are hoping to reach every province in the Philippines in the coming years. Farmers are greatly benefitting from PGS, as they are becoming more empowered, and are earning much better due to fewer costsin certification,” he said.

“PGS shares the same objective with the third-party certification: to provide credible guarantee for organic products. The only difference is the approach where there is direct participation of farmers and consumers in the process. This direct involvement allows PGS programs to be less tedious in terms of documentation of an important element in guarantee systems,” Medina added.

The group noted that PGS is also based on integrity approach that starts with a foundation of trust. It is also less costly (P600-P2,000 per farmer) compared to third party certification systems which charge P40,000-P60,000, which is not affordable for most small holder farmers in the Philippines.

Andre Leu, president of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) Organic International, stated the importance of mainstreaming PGS as majority of the world’s farmers are smallholder farmers (over 90 percent) who can not afford the cost of third party certification to sell organic products in markets.

PGS is a cost-effective and affordable way to guarantee the integrity of organic produce for the consumer and is much better for smallholders.              

IFOAM is the international umbrella of organic agriculture associations around the globe.

“We strongly support PGS as it is very affordable for the poorest farmers and more importantly, it empowers farmers and consumers to make decisions about market prices and supply that allows farmers to make a fair living and consumers to pay for the real value. Farmers can make the appropriate decisions about the guarantee system and the market that empower them as price makers rather than price takers, ensuring that farmers and their communities can break the poverty cycle and have a fair level of prosperity,” Leu said.

Carmen Cabling, organic farmer in Quezon and PGS Pilipinas chairperson, pointed out that LGUs are now opting PGS as a form of certification.

More and more local government units are now turning to PGS as this is more of a grassroots approach that encourages smallfarmers and small cooperatives to shift to organic agriculture. The law should be stated in a way that will be more inclusive of different approaches to strengthen organic agriculture,” Carmen Cabling, organic farmer in Quezon and PGS Pilipinas chairperson, said.

PGS Pilipinas is a duly registered non-stock organization with the Securities and Exchange Commission.