Certification Process
LOCAL GROUP (LG)
Local group is a group of 5 or more organic (or willing to convert) farmers living nearby. The local group acts as the fulcrum to the Participatory Guarantee System and collectively reviews each other.
FACILITATION COUNCIL (FC)
Facilitation Council is a grassroots organization working with organic farmers especially small and marginal farmers. The Facilitation council facilitates the Participatory Guarantee System among Local Groups.
PGSOC SECRETARIAT
PGSOC Secretariat is the central administrative and executive body of PGSOC Society. PGSOC Secretariat is appointed by the PGSOC society.
FORMATION OF LG
A group of 5 or more organic farmers (or willing to convert to organic farming) and having land holding nearby decide to form a LG.A minimum of 5 farmers is mandatory to form a LG in PGSOC certification process.
PLEDGE
The FC reviews the LG by visiting their farms. FC distributes all the standard documents like registration form, farmer's pledge, farm appraisal sheet, Basic Organic standards etc. in local language to LG. The farmer signs the Farmer’s pledge, fills the individual member application and submits a copy of his/her address proof and land records.The pledge is a dynamic one which can be taken by the farmers keeping their local traditions, deities, in presence.
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
The LG meets to select the LG convenor and to understand the Organic Standards and PGSOC certification process. The LG convenor organises a meeting to discuss the internal systems to be set for the LG along with rules and regulations to be followed by the members and records it in the meeting register for future references. Regular meetings are arranged to discuss about organic farming, marketing, knowledge sharing, sowing, planning for peer review, approval for all external inputs from the local group
PEER APPRAISALS
Peer Review or Peer Appraisal is a process by which some peer members of the same local group physically inspect and assess the production practices of their colleagues as peers. Peer appraisal has to be conducted for all the LG member’s farms at least once in every season. Efforts shall also be made to invite consumers, other LG members or representative of FC as observers of peer appraisal process.
FC RECOMMENDATION
FC reviews the summary sheet of peer appraisal sent by the LG convenor, checks whether the LG has completed the conversion period and decides to approve or reject the recommendation of the LG. They can only approve or not approve the certification of the Local Group as a whole and not individual farmers of the group. The FC approves the certification of LG and files information as per the standard form to the PGSOC Secretariat. In case of Non-approval, the FC communicates the reasons in writing with justification to LG convener.
CERTIFICATION
The PGSOC secretariat reviews Annexure 2 and Annexure 3.The secretariat assigns code number (unique ID) to each LG and prepares the certificates as per the standard format. The secretariat then sends it to the President of PGSOC. The President of PGSOC signs the certificate and sends it to the PGSOC Secretariat. The PGSOC secretariat shares the signed certificates with the FC. The FC takes printout of the certificates and distributes them to the respective LG. The PGS Organic Council label can hence be used by the LG for sales.