1. Where Do We Want To Go?
The ICS is an important tool that can be used not just to provide a set of rules for compliance for an organic project but also as a template for the way communities can be organized to work together to improve their livelihoods.
Planning as a group

2. Organic Projects There are many different scenarios for the way in
which a small holder organic project can be organised:
The project initiative may arise from:
a group of farmers who have identified opportunities to market an organic product;
a government or an NGO
a company (e.g an exporter)
The focus area might be :
Where production is very close to organic and where there is potential for selling the product as organic in an export market.
Where organic agriculture as a way for converting from conventional farming practices to more sustainable farming practices.

3. Reminders for Planning Organic Projects
Remember that projects should be “sustainable”
at the end of the project (e.g. end of funding) farmers should be better off than when the project started
e.g. farmers should have ownership of project or similar
Organic production and market development should go hand in hand!

4. Basic Types of Smallholder Projects
Processor Exporter
operates ICS
A) Farmers Cooperative or Association operates ICS
B) Contract Production

5. Possible Options for Project Structure B) Company/Processor/NGO
holds the certificate
Develops and manages an ICS; includes technical support, internal inspection.
Covers all:
Storage
Processing
Transport
Farmers organized in groups contract to sell organic product to company
A) Cooperative/farmers association holds the certificate
Manages the ICS
Contracts processor
and sells final product
Sells collected product
to processor
Contracted Processor
Processor collects product
from farmers
Option A 3
Processor
Option B
Option A 1
Option A 2
Each unit holds a contract with the certifier

6. - + Farmers Association
Highly motivated farmers; empowerment of farmers
Good social control / high sense of responsibility
Possibly already existing structure
Possibly lack in marketing experience
Possibly lack of experience in project management
Possibly new structure - may need time until structures working

7. NGO-Organised Farmers+
Good experience in project management
Access to funding
Possibly access to organic fair trade market (via development aid)
Interested in welfare of farmers; no profit for NGO
Possibly lack of marketing experience
Farmer may not feel that it is “their project” --> lower sense of responsibility
Possibly individual farmers, no group (close relation between members)

8. Processor with Contract Production- +
Farmer may not feel that it is “their project” --> lower sense of responsibility
Processor may be strongly profit oriented and not share full benefits with farmers
Certain risk that farmers are too dependent on contractor and not treated well.
Good experience in marketing
Good market access
Experience in product quality assurance
Usually better access to trade finance

9. Planning From the beginning:
Ensure there is sufficient funding support for the project.
Ensure all key stakeholders take part in the awareness building workshops. Include the agencies that might be promoting non- organic products to farmers (these may be government extension agents).
Ensure that farmers understand what they are committing to.
Communicate to farmers in the farmers’ language either directly or through a translator.
Choose certifier and ensure the ICS documentation developed by the ICS operator meets all the certifier’s specific requirements.

10. ICS Manual: Overview of Farm, Buying and Processing
The ICS operator needs to present in the Internal Manual a brief overview of his organisation, registered farms as well as buying and handling procedures.
Overview of farms
Overview project sites
Typical size of farms
Biggest & smallest farm
All growing same crops?
Typical production methods
Overview of Buying and Handling
Buying centers
Product flow until export

11. ICS Manual: Organization of the ICS (Project Coordination)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MANAGING DIRECTOR
(Ali Muheza)
EXPORT MANAGER
(Charles Mulogo)
PRODUCTION MANAGER/ COORDINATOR
(Edward Mulagwe)
FINANCE MANAGER
(Thomas Tutu)
PROCESSING/ OPERATIONS
MANAGER
Kitende
(Mwatima Juh)
Zanzibar
(Betty Banja)
Morogoro
(Sebastian Shanga )
Individual family farm units; contracted for organic production by Exporter AA
The ICS operator needs to develop an organisational chart. This chart is important as it will provide a clear picture of the:
ICS organizational units (office staff, field staff)
Hierarchies (manager, field officer)
Positions of organic staff (types of positions)
in separate list or included in chart: field advisors & internal inspectors, buying staff (not included in this example)