Proceedings of the IFOAM workshop on Internal Control Systems (ICS)

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It is also important to bear in mind that ICS are not aimed at being applicable in all cases. Since <strong>the</strong> ICS certification process will be a virtual one, pilot projects have to be based on original incentives for farmers and for <strong>the</strong> certification body. The participants identified <strong>the</strong> following possible incentives for farmer groups and CBs to participate in ICS pilot projects: 10 • For <strong>the</strong> farmer groups: - Improvement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> overall quality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> system and benefits <strong>of</strong> group dynamic - Potential for gaining knowledge and capacity - Having training financed by <strong>the</strong> pilot project - O<strong>the</strong>r types <strong>of</strong> financial compensation for ICS but subject to project control, so as to avoid distortion <strong>of</strong> incentives in reducing <strong>the</strong> cost <strong>of</strong> running ICS (should not have an economic influence on <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong>y set up <strong>the</strong> system) • For <strong>the</strong> purchasing companies: - Research and development investment (when ICS are accepted, <strong>the</strong>y will be ahead and will have built capacity) - Prestige: be leaders <strong>of</strong> change (look for leaders!) - Some funding compensation for recognition <strong>of</strong> efforts made • For <strong>the</strong> certification bodies - Some CBs have adoption <strong>of</strong> ICS as a goal because <strong>the</strong>y are loosing smallholders and <strong>the</strong> big processing companies that go with <strong>the</strong>m - Having training financed by <strong>the</strong> pilot project � at <strong>the</strong> end, <strong>the</strong>y will have procedures and capacity ready for inspection <strong>of</strong> ICS, when accepted by <strong>the</strong> EU - Goal is to promote OA, including through innovative means We should be careful before designing complex requirements for ICS in <strong>the</strong> North (e.g. minimal staff qualification) because <strong>the</strong>re is a risk that <strong>the</strong> stricter criteria will end up being applied to developing countries as well, yet <strong>the</strong>ir systems are already at <strong>the</strong> limit <strong>of</strong> what is economically feasible. It is safest to design flexible criteria such as that staff qualification should be based on experience. In any case, <strong>the</strong> risk evaluation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> groups is a key component <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ICS approach.
Conclusion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>workshop</strong> Participants were unanimous about <strong>the</strong> usefulness and productivity <strong>of</strong> this <strong>workshop</strong>. The <strong>workshop</strong> ga<strong>the</strong>red <strong>the</strong> right number <strong>of</strong> people and led to good and targeted outputs. It was agreed that, since most participants will be present at BioFach in Nuremberg in February 2006, this would be a good time to arrange a short follow-up meeting to assess progress made by <strong>the</strong>n and ga<strong>the</strong>r more ideas on how to continue. It was suggested that some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> good pilot project candidates identified by <strong>the</strong>n will also be invited to <strong>the</strong> discussion. Selected quotations! “Since organic agriculture comes from us, <strong>the</strong>y [<strong>the</strong> EU and o<strong>the</strong>r governments] should not object to something that comes from us” Anton Pinsch<strong>of</strong> “We have to be careful to open one door after <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r” Ute Einsenlohr “The system has proved to work, so why do we have to prove again that it can work?” Ute Eisenlohr “If you want to put 3 farmers under 1 leader, you need to kill 2 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m!” Primoz Kriselj 11
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Proceedings of the IFOAM workshop on Internal Control Systems (ICS)

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