Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for - Aseanipm ...

Exercise No. 8.01
UNDERSTANDING ORGANIC GUARANTEE SYSTEM
FOR STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION OF ORGANIC
VEGETABLE PRODUCTS
BaCKGroUND aND raTIoNalE
402
Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for Organic Vegetable Production
when is this exercise most
appropriate?
ɶ In FFS, TOT, and VST
sessions, after discussions
of the topic ‘Post-harvest
Handling and Primary
Processing of Vegetables’.
The organic guarantee system is a way by which consumers
are assured that they obtain organically produced foods. Broadly, there are two (2) ways of
assurance. One way is the producer’s personal guarantee (no need for a certification program).
The other way is through a third party certification, a system by which conformity to applicable
standards is determined and confirmed by a third party or an independent body 271 :
• Producer’s guarantee. The producer (e.g., farmer, processor, or operator) gives assurance to
customers. This is applicable where producer’s integrity is widely known to customers who
usually live within same locality as producers. The producer’s guarantee, also known as first
party certification, is sufficient when there is mutual understanding between producers and
consumers such as in various versions of producer-consumer partnerships. There may be no
popular term used for it but such patronage is a common practice in small towns and villages
across Asia.
It occurs when a producer, with an installed internal control system, claims that his farm is
organic. This type of certification system exists in areas or communities where producer and
consumer know each other. In the past two years, IFOAM has been studying Participatory
Guarantee System (PGS) and has recognized it as an alternative guarantee system, which falls
under first party certification 272 .
• Third party certification. When producer is unknown, certification is done by an independent
body or a third party. The production system, the process or method instead of a product, is
certified as organic. Once certified organic the product carries the organic seal signifying that
the production process and or processing method is compliant to the organic standard. Thus the
‘organic’ quality is not verifiable by product testing although in some cases product testing can
be used to detect non-compliance. The major activities in a certification program are: standard
setting, inspection, and certification.
271 Phil-Organic. 2006. Standards and Certification: Philippine Organic Farming. As cited in: Philippine Organic Agriculture Information Network (Phil-
Organic). http//www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/phil-organic/standards.
272 Limpin, L.R.K. 2009. Organic Standards and Certification. Documents prepared for PCARRD’S Training Manual on Organic Agriculture in the
Philippines, Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP), 78-B Dr. Lazcano St., Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City. pp. 5-12.