Participatory Guarantee Systems for Consumers’ Buying Groups
* Report: Participatory guarantee systems (PGS) for consumers’ buying groups: A tool for farmer-citizen dialogues.. Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development, Winter 2023
Description
"This is an advisory report for farmer-citizen dialogues around the exploration of the potential for a participatory guarantee system (PGS) for consumers’ buying groups. It can guide participants in the process and the discussions.
A consumers’ buying group is a group of citizens who buy collectively from local farmers and producers. Vegetables, fruit, dairy, bread and other products are delivered weekly to a central location by producers, or collected by members of the consumers’ buying group. Here, the consumers’ buying group makes a choice of farmers or producers with which it does or does not enter into a relationship. A PGS can potentially help consumers’ buying groups establish concrete principles for sustainability which are adapted to local needs, opportunities and values. It allows producers to tell the story behind their products and production methods if they do not have an organic label. At the same time, it gives the consumers’ buying group insight into the sustainability of local producers."
Excerpt
From the Introduction:
"This report explores the potential for a participatory guarantee system (PGS) for consumers’ buying groups in the Netherlands. A consumers’ buying group is a group of citizens who buy collectively from local farmers and producers. Vegetables, fruit, dairy, bread and other products are delivered weekly to a central location by producers, or collected by members of the consumers’ buying group. Here, the consumers’ buying group makes a choice of farmers or producers with which it does or does not enter into a relationship. This choice may, for example, be made on the basis of quality requirements, practical principles or personal preferences. A PGS can potentially help consumers’ buying groups establish concrete principles for sustainability which are adapted to local needs, opportunities and values. IFOAM1 recognises PGS as a locally focused alternative to organic certification schemes. It allows producers to tell the story behind their products and production methods if they do not have an organic label (SKAL, Demeter, etc.). At the same time, it gives the consumers’ buying group insight into the sustainability of local producers. PGS assumes active participation of farmers and citizens in defining, measuring and evaluating sustainability and in developing appropriate procedures to ensure and test sustainability principles. A PGS depends on trust between producers and consumers of the consumers’ buying group and expects transparency, openness and cooperation from both parties - for the purpose of development and mutual learning. Apart from abstract and political discussions on sustainability, this in turn creates space for local and practice-based conversations. In this way, PGS can be an important tool for farmer-citizen dialogues in transparent and sustainable local food chains.
In the PGS Field Lab, together with consumers’ buying group Goed Volk, we explored the social process for setting up a PGS for local consumers’ buying groups that unites farmers and citizens. The PGS Field Lab consisted of five sessions, each with its own focus. As PGS is relatively unknown in the Netherlands, the experiences and lessons from this Field Lab could be valuable for various organisations in the Netherlands that work around local and sustainable food systems. We also propose a pathway to guide new consumers’ buying groups in the Netherlands formulate and assure sustainability principles through a PGS."
From the Conclusion:
"In this report, we discussed the PGS Field Lab process, shared our impressions and drew several lessons for conversations around local and sustainable food systems. We conclude that PGS can be an interesting tool for farmer-citizen dialogues in the Netherlands. For us, PGS is not a linear path of 'agreement-check-evaluation' but a round model in which dialogue is continuous and the sustainability vision can evolve and be kept in focus together.
In the further development of PGS within the Dutch CSA network, we think it is important to think in concrete terms about what exactly PGS is or what it can mean for consumers’ buying groups. Is the aim to bring citizens closer to farmers and communities based on solidarity? Or, is it about autonomy from supermarkets and industrial supply-chains and the elimination of third-party guarantees via certificates? Or is PGS about creating new, ambitious criteria for defining and measuring sustainability? These things can of course co-exist and partly overlap, but it we consider it important to think in what ways PGS best suits local needs and realities."
Example
- Goed Volk - Buying Group
"This chapter describes the Field Lab that took place in early 2022 with consumers’ buying group Goed Volk in Lichtenvoorde. Loosely based on 'Theory U' (see Box 1), the Field Lab consisted of five sessions for both consumers and producers. Various other regional producers with a focus on sustainability and strengthening relationships with consumers were also present.
The sessions were designed and facilitated by Jacob Smessaert and Laura van Oers, researchers at Utrecht University. The development of the sessions consisted of an iterative process in which outstanding questions or wishes that followed from the session guided the design of the next session.
The Field Lab took place on a biweekly basis at Biotel Achterhoek in Lievelde, near Lichtenvoorde. Each session lasted about three hours and consisted of a) moments of self-reflection via 'personal diaries' in which participants individually answered questions on paper (see Appendix A), b) presentations, c) discussions in groups of various sizes, d) a freshly prepared meal and e) decisions or making follow-up agreements. Parts of the sessions were recorded with an audio recorder for research purposes."