20 local groups receive Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) organic certification

On October 2, 2019, the North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS) received certificates for 20 Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) groups, who are also partner communities of NESFAS, from across Meghalaya.

As a facilitation council, NESFAS identified and formed 46 local PGS groups consisting of more than 230 farmers. These groups are from different areas under Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi, Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills of Meghalaya.

The PGS is an internationally applicable organic quality assurance system, which is implemented and controlled by several committed organic farmer-producers through active participation, along with the consumers, in the process based on verifiable trust.

Any farmer will have to pledge that the production process is free from manufactured chemicals fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, hormones and lives by his word of honor. The “Local Group” of five or more organic farmers is the basis of the self-regulatory support system of PGS. The quality assurance standards are harmonized by the PGS Organic Council of India, which permits the use of its PGS label on a product as a mark of quality.

The groups which received the certification are as follows:-