The right to certify – Institutionalizing participatory guarantee systems (PGS): A Latin American cross-country comparison

Abstract

Growing worldwide interest in Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) requires an exploration of how countries approach PGS institutionalization. Through document analysis and semi-structured interviews, a comparative cross-country study was conducted in nine Latin American countries to examine how PGS are defined, regulated, and promoted at a national level. The results demonstrated that the countries take differing approaches to PGS institutionalization, and that there is a widespread lack of financial and/or technical support structures specifically targeted at PGS initiatives. While most national competent authorities do not have an overview of the current status of PGS initiatives and PGS consumers, several case study countries indicate a common interest in the development of PGS export opportunities.