As is well known, both producer groups with Participation Guaranteed Systems (PGS) and producer groups with Internal Control Systems (ICS) seek to offer the final consumer quality organic products, which are guaranteed and recognized through their rigorous controls and current certificates.
However, both consumers and producers who want to choose one of these modalities, wonder what is the difference between the two, if they seem to have the same development, characteristics, and control.
Well, we show you some key differences and similarities, as well as the challenges they both face to achieve their goals.
Similarities:
- Both share the mission of providing a quality-assured product.
- They operate with similar mechanisms for verification of compliance with the standards to which they apply.
- Have documented management procedures
- Each member has a producer’s declaration
- Use a logo as a differentiation
- Conduct internal audits
Differences:
- A group with ICS is mainly oriented to export markets for raw materials.
- SPGs focus on supplying the national or local market.
- An ICS group must operate under third-party certification and to the standards of the target market.
- PGSs on the contrary are autonomous systems and outside the framework of third-party certification
- In the SPG the control of the process comes from the group’s own initiative.
- Groups with ICS mostly focus on a single or very few products for export.
- In PGS the focus is on the variety of different crops since the whole farm is certified and not just one product.
- An ICS group has a certificate that is owned by the group, processor, or trader.
- In PGS the certificates are individual.
The challenges for both are the same, to keep their processes documented, to have oversight and control of their management and status, as well as the compliance check they are subject to.
The use of intelligent tools is indispensable for successful development and verification that can guarantee what they offer to the market whether national or international, in this sense abunda becomes an indispensable ally helping to simplify processes and demonstrating transparency and professionalism under the same easy, affordable tool that fits the needs of both groups.