Whereas Organic farming is seen as an alternative to conventional farming which has negative attendant impacts on the environment, 3rd party certification is often times seen as a significant hurdle in market access for organic smallholder farmers. Participatory Guarantee Systems were introduced as a way of empowering farmers to take charge of organic certification through self-guarantee while building groups to be cohesive marketing units for organic produce. PGS being a grassroots initiative is coordinated at the national level by the national organic movements who are in charge of among other things ; assessing and approving PGS groups, maintaining a national registry of PGS’s by collecting and collating groups information.

With over a decade of PGS implementation, the process in Kenya has evolved to have its own unique flair, with multiple groups exhibiting diverse characteristics, norms and modalities. With such a rich pool of experiences to draw from, the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) the national coordinator for PGS groups in Kenya is finalising an assessment of various PGS groups in order to catalogue best practices, challenges and opportunities and recommendations for growth.

As a way of sharing this information, KOAN and BioVision Africa Trust are organising the 1st ever Kenya National PGS Workshop which is envisioned to be a consultative session where PGS representatives from different parts of Kenya will meet up to share and discuss critical matters regarding how PGS in Kenya are administered. The workshop will also celebrate outstanding PGS in different categories including but not limited to;

• Best Market set up – Most attractive farmers’ market
• Best Performing on Information Sharing – Sales data, members registry, annual assessment

Winners in each category will be awarded:

• 1st Place – KES 15,000
• 2nd Place – KES 10,000

Event Location: Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies

The Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies is located at Upper Kabete Campus, the University of Nairobi as a centre of excellence in environmental governance and management, and their linkages with cultures of peace. The Institute conducts holistic multi-disciplinary training, experiential learning, research, outreach and extension services in environmental governance and management and peace.