Inside IFOAM   Mission and Goals   Program 2008   Organization   World Board   Committees   Other Internal Bodies   Head Office   IFOAM Acronyms   Jobs   History   Annual Reports The Principles of Organic Agriculture Standards and Certification   Organic Guarantee   System   Norms   Accreditation   Participatory Guarantee   System (PGS) Become a Member List of Members IFOAM Around the World   AgroBioMediterraneo   Africa Organic Service   Center   China   EU Group   FAO Liaison Office   France   Latin America (GALCI)   Japan IFOAM "Professional"   Organic Trade Forum   Aquaculture Group   Forum of Consultants   Organic Retailers   Association IFOAM Initiatives   Farmers Group Official Status   FAO   UNCTAD   UNEP   ISO Frequently Asked Questions on Participatory Guarantee Systems Note: the same text is available in Spanish and Portuguese as compiled PDF download (see right column). General Questions about PGS Why do we need PGS programs, aren’t Third Party Certification systems doing a good enough job? Where are the origins of the PGS Movement? How many PGS programs and farmers are there in the world now? What is the future of PGS? Why does PGS work as a viable organic verification system? How do PGS Programs benefit consumers? Can I as a consumer be involved in the PGS? To what extent? What is meant by the term participatory? Who participates and to what extent are they included? Comparing PGS and Third Party/ICS Certification Is PGS a system of certification, or is certification limited to Third Party systems? Does PGS compete with Third Party Certification efforts? What is the difference between a PGS and an ICS? What advantage is there to an ICS farmer joining a PGS? Is PGS better then third party certification? PGS Start-up and Operation What is the best way to start a PGS? Is there a manual or guide on how to set up PGS? Is there a perfect PGS I can look at? What’s the best PGS program in the world to copy? Who should we include when we start our PGS? Is our group a PGS? How do I know? What do I need to do to make it a PGS? Can my PGS be internationally accredited? How do you define small and local and PGS operations? What are the indirect costs associated with PGS Programs? Who makes the final decisions on allowable practices in a PGS? PGS and Quality Assurance How can untrained farmers handle onsite-inspections? Can local farmers be trusted to report non-compliance of neighbors? Some PGS programs have included random product testing/pesticide residue testing. Is this integral to the operation of a PGS? PGS and Markets Can products from PGS be labeled as organic? How are PGS Certified Organic products identified? Can PGS products be exported internationally? Can PGS products be sold in supermarkets/anonymous distribution channels? How do you stop retailers from selling fraudulently PGS Organic products? What international support exists for the PGS model? Sign up for IFOAM's free info list Print Links Back to the PGS main page PDF-Downloads Full PGS FAQ text_English Full PGS FAQ text_Spanish Full PGS FAQ text_Portuguese
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