The marketing and farmer business team report:
Organic PGS (Participatory Guarantee System) is an organic marketing system that can function outside of the expensive and cumbersome system required by international organic certification. Under an organic PGS program, Solomon Island farmers would be able to sell their produce in local markets and to contracted buyers as organic certified. This certification would only be valid in the Solomon Islands, and potentially in the South Pacific.
The PGS program promotes a non-fee system where the certification activities, record keeping and auditing (Guarantees) are done on a volunteer (Participatory) basis by stakeholders. A minimum amount of funding would be required to promote and support this system until it reaches a critical mass.In this context, “organic farming” means farmers must follow a set of standards already established by SPC.
KGA is working with PMN members with access to Honiara market to develop an organic farming standard using the PGS model. KGA is coordinating closely with the AusAID Agricultural Livelihoods Program on this activity.
