After the regional workshop on Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) in the Greater Mekong Subregion in March, 2014 held by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Hoi An has been considered and selected to be the pilot model to develop PGS in the Core Agriculture Support Program Phase II (CASPII) implemented by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Promoting the adoption of PGS in the six Greater Mekong Subregion countries (GMSs) in CASPII is implemented by IFOAM and funded by ADB. Hoi An, as its practical demand, has been selected to develop PGS in Vietnam in the scope of this program. The special feature of Hoi An PGS model is the enthusiastic participation, and important role of various stakeholder including local authorities: Hoi An Economic Department, Cam Thanh People's Committee, Hoi An Plant Protection Station, Agriculture Extension Station, Hoi An Commercial and Tourism Department, a local non-profit organization called Action for the City (ACCD), farmers, consumers and enterprises.

I. HOI AN PGS

1.The establishment and development

Since April 2014, along with the support of Action for the City, a training class in knowledge of organic farming has been organized for farmers. Trainers of the class are professionals in agriculture, Dr. Tran Thi Thanh Binh and Mrs. Tu Thi Tuyet Nhung, the Head of the Coordination Board of Vietnam PGS. Simultaneously, Hoi An PGS has developed its own organizational structure, and determined its functions and responsibilities under the guidance of experts from IFOAM, Mrs. Chris May and Mrs. Tu Tuyet Nhung.

After training in organic farming techniques, the first training class in inspection skills for inspectors was held in Hoi An on 16 – 17 June 2014. Trainers, Mrs. Tu Tuyet Nhung and Mrs. Chris May, instructed all members of the Coordination Board of Hoi An PGS and inspectors. Meanwhile, the orientation of developing Hoi An PGS in the future is determined to become a PGS certification system in the Central area of Vietnam.

After the training class, inspectors implemented inspecting and giving certification to  Thanh Dong Group in November 2014, after more than one year of transformation into organic farming. Besides, inspectors regularly carried out monitoring activities.

In addition to production activities, the Coordination Board of Hoi An PGS always emphasizes monitoring activities.  To increase knowledge of the Coordination Board to operate the system effectively, IFOAM, collaborating with Action for the City and the Coordination Board of Hoi An PGS, organized training operation skills for members of the Board on October 2014. Thanks to the information that Mrs. Tu Tuyet Nhung shared and instructed, members of the Board has developed and finalized functions, responsibilities, and names of subsidiary units of the  Coordination Board of Hoi An PGS more specifically. Concurrently, each individual member of the Coordination Board of Hoi An PGS knew more about the system, and their functions and responsibilities when participating. The training has been especially important to the inspection team, one of subsidiary units of the Coordination Board of Hoi An PGS, in which the lead is a farmer in Thanh Dong organic farmer group.

Hoi An with its own logo on each vegetables pack sold in the market is currently more familiar with Hoi An citizens when they consider quality food for their family. Thanh Dong organic farmer group, an important factor in Hoi An PGS, is transferring to tourism spot for students at high schools and universities in Hoi An and Da Nang to visit and learn more about organic farming.

Even though Hoi An PGS is in the early days of their establishment and has to face with lots of difficulties, it has help farmers increase their knowledge and awareness of organic agriculture, and make community relationships more intimate.

2. Logo of Hoi An PGS

3. Organizational model

4. Function and duty of each department

a. The Coordination Board

Chairwoman – Ms.Tran Huynh Hai Yen (Specialist, Hoi An Economic Department)

Vice Chairwoman – Ms. Dang Thi Thu Hang ( Program Manager, Action for the City)

Secretary – Ms.Nguyen Thi Hoa Man (Environmental Officer, Cam Thanh People’s Committee)

Function and duty:

PGS brand management: package printing, quality control, guidance provision of brand usage, models and size

Verification and approval of other divisions’ proposal

Management and transparency guarantee

Provision of identification code for farmer group/individual farmer/company

Data and certification reservation and update

Data update and random inspection 

Handling violation and compliment

Fund raising

b. Technical Department

Head – Mr.Dinh Van Quy (Specialist, Hoi An Department of Economy)

Member – Mr.Nguyen Van Binh (Chief, Plant Protection Station of Hoi An)

Member – Mr.Tran My (Deputy Chief, Plant Protection Station of Hoi An)

Member – Mr. Le Ngoc (Specialist, Agriculture Extension Station of Hoi An)

Function and duty:

Technique support

Plant disease management

Proposal approval for suitable quality standard

Collaboration with other division when needed

c. Promotional Department

Head – Ms. Dang Thi Thu Hang (Program Manager, Action for the City)

Member – Mr.Nguyen Phung (Specialist, Hoi An Department of Commerce and Tourism )

Member – Mr. Le Thanh (Chairman, Cam Thanh People’s Committee)

Member – Mr. Pham Meo (Leader, The Organic Vegetable Production of Thanh Dong Group of Cam Thanh)

Member – Ms.Le Thi Xuan (Officer, Hoi An Culture and Information Department)

Function and duty:

Promotion for the product and brand name

Sale and marketing support

Market search

Farmer support to connect into network

Connect Hoi An PGS with other PGS system

Support for collaboration of production department and technique department

d. Monitoring Department

Head– Ms.Dang Thi Vi Vi (Project Assistant, Action for the city)

Member – Mr. Nguyen Van Nguyen (Chairman, Farmer Union of Cam Thanh Commune)

Member – Mr.Phan Van Khanh (Collaborative Officer, Cam Thanh People’s Committee)

Member – Ms.Tran Huynh Hai Yen (Specialist, Hoi An Economic Department)

Function and duty:

PGS procedure guidance for individual, group to submit to the Standing Committee for ID provision. It is for launching inspection for individual and group

Development of annual inspection plan, proposing to the Standing Committee and Inspection Board and urgent inspection process (report to the Inspection Board. They accomplish report and submit to the Monitoring Board)

Report check (three implementers are required) and submission (to the Inspection Board)

Certification provision and send to the Standing Committee (certification printing including name of all groups)

Handling violation implementation (for farmer group)

Collaboration in monitoring input and output

Inspection training organization

e. Inspection Team

Under the Monitoring Department, includes member:

Head of Inspection Board – Mr.Le Nhuong (Vice chairman, the People'sFrontCommittee of Cam Thanh)

Member – Mr.Dinh Van Quy (Specialist, Hoi An Economic Department)

Member – Ms.Nguyen Thi Hoa Man (Environmental Officer, People’s committee of Cam Thanh)

Member –Mr. Le Hai (Member, The Organic Vegetable Production of Thanh Dong Group of Cam Thanh)

Member – Mr.Nguyen Van Chuc (Second Head, The Organic Vegetable Production of Thanh Dong Group of Cam Thanh)

Function and duty:

Inspection implementation following the plan

Report writing and submission to the Monitoring Board

Urging and monitoring handling violation process

Collaboration in collecting sample

Following the inspection board’s assignment

II. PGS Hoi An Standard

PGS Hoi An Standard is following the Vietnam PGS Standard recognized by IFOAM.