Perceived benefits and challenges in Philippine participatory guarantee systems (PGS) : case of Quezon Province PGS

Date

6-2022

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

College

College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Jose Nestor M. Garcia

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Abstract

As the demand for organic products rises worldwide, the role of organic certification increases in importance. Participatory guarantee systems (PGS) enable local farmers to have certified organic agricultural products. However, there is a current gap in information about PGS in the Philippines. To address this, semi-structured interviews with fifteen PGS farmers in Quezon Province and five key informants from institutions supporting PGS were conducted. Results showed that PGS make organic certification accessible for smallholder farmers, facilitate knowledge exchange among organic farmers and stakeholders, and deepen the farmers' commitment and appreciation for organic agriculture. On the other hand, challenges in PGS involve member inactivity, new difficult accreditation requirements, incidents of mislabeling, and the issue of conversion to organic production. The performance of the Quezon Province PGS groups is affected by consumer recognition, management issues and benefits associated with organic agriculture, interventions being provided by government and non-government institutions, and problems in land tenure and occurrence of natural disasters and hazards. The study recommended the adjustment of certain provisions in the new PGS guidelines as well as further research on the impacts of PGS on consumer groups and other stakeholders in the organic production system.

Language

English

LC Subject

Organic farming--Certification--Philippines, Quality assurance--Philippines, Agriculture, Agricultural Systems Agricultural Systems Institute

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2022 A3 A66

Document Type

Thesis

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