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ABIO is an association of producers in Rio de Janeiro that sprung up from an organic trade fair in 1985. It was initially set to give guarantee for their products but eventually ended up providing certification of a third party than a participatory. Now this new system has been abandoned and replaced by the participatory. They carry out all procedures like farm visits performed by local groups etc. They try to create a system that neither relies on the technicians nor the consumer but on the producer himself. Local associations linked to ABIO are the basis of this PGS.
The idea behind this is the belief that the peer review among farmers is a sufficient mechanism for ensuring organic quality. In this system, a group of producers choose a committee for a visit and after all the inspection, it is the general group that sits, decides and signs the document of certification, whether or not the producer is qualified to be or not organic. There are 180 farmers and 11 groups, amongst which some are more advanced than others.
They do not have their own rules but follow the requirements of the government. They attend a total of 5 fairs: one in Rio de Janeiro and the other in Friburgo. For commercialization purposes, they obtain marketing spaces at research centers, universities, and do not necessarily sell their produce on the street.
More information (in Portuguese only) can be found at the ABIO website at:
http://www.abio.org.br/
Spanish
ABIO es una asociación de productores de Rio de Janeiro que surge a partir de una feria orgánica en 1985. Querían dar garantía para sus productos y acabaron brindando una certificación que tenía más de tercera parte que participativa. Ahora dejaron ese sistema, implantaron los procedimientos participativos. Se hace todo lo que pasa en los grupos locales, visitas a pie, etc. Intentamos crear un sistema que no dependa del técnico ni del consumidor sino del propio productor. Las asociaciones locales ligadas a ABIO son la base de los SPG.
La idea es que la revisión de pares entre agricultores es un mecanismo suficiente para garantizar la calidad orgánica. Un grupo de productores elige una comisión para hacer una visita. Pero son todos del grupo que firman si ese productor es o no orgánico. Son 180 agricultores, 11 grupos, unos más avanzados que otros.
No tienen reglamento propio sino que se sigue lo que el gobierno nos exige. Cuentan con cinco ferias en total, una está en Rio de Janeiro y otra en Friburgo. Están consiguiendo espacios de comercialización en centros de investigación, universidades, no necesariamente en la calle.
More information (in Portuguese only) on the ABIO website at:
http://www.abio.org.br/
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