The Local Group is the unit PGS-India actually certifies. Chapter 4 of the official guidelines sets out what a group must look like before a Regional Council will register it — and several of the rules are stricter than people expect.
The group at a glance
- 5 minimumMembers, from the same village or nearby villages with continuous territory
- 7–10The size the guidelines advise, so the group survives members leaving
- 50% capNo single member may hold more than half the group's land
- OnceA group registers once — there is no renewal while it stays active
Eligibility Requirements
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Size | Minimum 5 members; the Regional Council decides the maximum to suit local conditions |
| Women farmers | Adequate participation must be ensured |
| Knowledge | At least 25% of members versed in PGS or NPOP standards, or trained by an RC, Zonal Council or the Secretariat, or previously in the core team of another functioning group |
| Pledge | Every member signs the PGS pledge and the group agreement |
| Land share | No size limit per farmer, but one member's holding may not exceed 50% of the group's total land |
| Whole farm | Parallel production and part conversion are normally not allowed — each member brings the entire farm, including livestock, under organic management. RCs may make exceptions and allow phased conversion. |
| Registration | Registered with the RC, with a user ID and password for the PGS website. Groups unable to upload online can use the RC, a facilitating agency, local NGO or service provider. |
If sanctions or departures take a group below five members, its status changes from group to individual. Certification then needs inspection by the RC or peer inspection by another nearby group, which can mean extra cost. This is why the guidelines advise starting with about 7–10 farmers.
Running the Group
- Leadership: elect a group leader and a core team of peer reviewers — at least 3 in a 5-member group. There is no upper limit; ideally every member takes part.
- Records: a group file with each member's application form, signed pledge, signed agreement, farm map with GPS coordinates, and the last year's history of inputs and practices.
- Meetings: 2–4 compulsory meetings a year — 2 for perennial-crop groups, 4 for annual-crop groups — and every member must attend at least 50% of them and sign the register.
- Off-farm inputs: the group verifies and approves or prohibits them in its meetings; using one without the group's approval is a non-compliance.
- Decisions: small groups (up to 10) can declare certification collectively; larger groups elect a certification committee of 5 or more. Majority approval is needed only for negative decisions — denial of certification or decertification.
Getting Endorsed
A new group needs endorsement from another registered PGS group — only once, at registration.
nearby?"} -->|"Yes"| B["That group
endorses"] A -->|"No"| C{"Formed under a
govt scheme e.g. PKVY?"} C -->|"Yes"| D["Authorised district
officer endorses"] C -->|"No"| E["State agriculture officer,
RCONF, or RC
after physical visit"]
No Renewal — But Stay Active
There is no renewal concept in PGS-India: a group keeps its registration as long as it keeps certifying and uploading peer appraisal summary sheets season by season.
Missing the peer appraisal summary sheet for two seasons or 12 months suspends the group. Revival restarts from the date a fresh peer appraisal is submitted — and certification begins again at PGS-Green-1, not where it left off.
If You Can't Form a Group
An individual farmer, or fewer than five farmers, with no group nearby can apply directly to a Regional Council — with a signed application, the pledge, and a declaration that they currently cannot form a group. This is an interim arrangement: the producer must work to form a group within a maximum of two years, after which the RC attaches them to the nearest group.
Once the group exists, how a certification decision is actually made is covered in the next episode.