Analog forestry seeks to create a production system that protects and increases biodiversity and ecosystem functions, while not relying on external, chemical inputs. As such, analog forestry producers go above and beyond traditional organic standards.
To recognize the efforts of these farmers, IAFN has developed the Forest Garden Product (FGP) certification for the international market. Currently, FGP standards are inspected by EcoLOGICA of Costa Rica and IMO Cert. in Bolivia.
The forest produces an immense variety of goods, and this is reflected in the array of products that have been certified under FGP. Tea plantations in Sri Lanka, Vietnam and India, through their efforts to increase biodiversity, have been able to diversify their production to include fruits, herbs, and spices for the international market. Meanwhile, a group of producers in the Brazilian Amazon, the Consorcio do Produtores Sateré Mawé in Amazonas, Brazil, use the certification to market guaraná, Brazil nuts, and a variety of other rainforest products.
While FGP certification is an asset in the international market, IAFN is also working towards national-level certifications through Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS), where producers come together to reach agreements on which standards to follow and how to enforce them; based on the principles of analog forestry and the FGP standards. By avoiding the pitfalls of onerous inspections that can be unmanageable for small farmers, PGS ensure that environmentally responsible production can be less expensive, more democratic, and more local.
Download the 2014 FGP Standards
