In the framework of the Technical Cooperation Project ‘Small-Scale Farmer Inclusion in Organic Agriculture Development through Participatory Guarantee Systems’ (TCP/RAS/3510), IFOAM-Organics International has been engaged to support the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in providing technical assistance to the Governments of Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar. This report refers specifically to Output 1 of TCP/RAS/3510, which refers to the assessment of the legal and regulatory environment in each country with recommendations how to best accommodate Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) into those frameworks. PGS are locally focused quality assurance systems. They certify producers based on active participation of stakeholders and are built on a foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge exchange.
Throughout September and October 2015, IFOAM-Organics International has conducted desktop reviews, country missions, in person and remote interviews with public and private sector stakeholders to collect information on the current status of the legal and regulatory environment for organic agriculture in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. This report presents the result of this assessment with recommendations for all three countries on how to best accommodate PGS under those frameworks.
