First International Workshop on Alternative Certification - Declaration

First International Workshop on Alternative Certification - Declaration

IFOAM - Organics International and MAELA (Latin American Agroecology Movement) promoted the International Workshop on Alternative Certification, hosted by the NGO Centro Ecologico, in the North of Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, in April 2004.

More than 20 countries were represented in the Workshop. Organized in discussion groups, the participants discussed the common points in their diverse systems to guarantee the credibility of the organic product, and the challenges to provide legitimacy to these methods.

Different experiences such as the CSA movement in the USA and the Red Ecovida Netowrk in Brazil showed the importance of the involvement of farmers and consumers in the generation of credibility for the organic product. IFOAM and MAELA, and the rest of the participating organizations, pledged to keep promoting alternative certification systems this issue within their structures. A Working Group with representatives from various continents was elected to take responsibility in assuring the continuity of the discussions and actions generated during the Workshop.