Bridging the Literature Gap: A Framework for Assessing Actor Participation in Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS)

Abstract

Participatory guarantee systems (PGS) have become increasingly important for organic quality assurance. PGS are promoted as more suitable than third-party certification (TPC) for smallholder farmers in the Global South. The advocated benefits of PGS include the promotion of organic agriculture, farmer empowerment, and the facilitation of food system sustainability. To deliver these benefits, local actor participation is key. To date, there is still an absence of in-depth studies on participation in PGS in the literature. The aim of this study was to contribute to closing this research gap by (i) conducting a meta-analysis on PGS participation and (ii) presenting a framework for studying actor participation in PGS. A systematic literature review on participation in PGS was carried out, using a framework based on Cohen and Uphoff (1980). The results showed that data on participation in PGS are still fragmented in scientific literature. Quantitative empirical evidence and data on the extent and purpose of participation and actors’ perception of participation, for example, are very scarce or not available at all. This paper argues that a systematic and theory-based approach to further research on participation in PGS is needed for improved understanding and facilitation, and suggests an adapted version of Cohen and Uphoff’s (1980) framework for conducting this research.

Convivial Agriculture: Evolving Food and Farming Activism in South China

“…This ethnography based on a relational approach also offers new insight into the literature on the practice of PGS in the Global South (e.g. Mexico and Brazil, see: Kaufmann et al 2020;Sacchi et al 2015).…”

The Role of Consumer-Citizens and Connectedness to Nature in the Sustainable Transition to Agroecological Food Systems: The Mediation of Innovative Business Models and a Multi-Level Perspective

“…Thus, a consumers' represented group (who can be other farmers and agronomists) collectively takes responsibility to peer review the production process, ensuring the integrity of products verified by the PGS. A PGS leads to equal sharing of power and responsibilities, the formation of trust and a common vision and a permanent learning process through the engagement of all stakeholders [138,139].…”

Sistemas de garantía participativos como estrategias de desarrollo para productores rurales

“…Se establece que los SGP, pueden ser específicos del contexto, y cada SGP responde a los desafíos y condiciones particulares que enfrentan los productores, consumidores y partes interesadas (Home et al, 2017), la participación es multidimensional, muy compleja y de naturaleza específica al entorno, puede ocurrir de diversas formas, significar cosas diferentes y cambiar con el tiempo (Kaufmann et al, 2020), y estos "buscan incentivar la construcción de redes de trabajo y aprendizaje mutuo, vertebradoras de los territorios rurales donde se insertan" (Boza, 2013, p. 17).…”