Sustainability of Organic Certification in Organic Farming Groups in Padang Pariaman Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

This research aims to describe the sustainability of organic certification by organic farmers in Padang Pariaman Regency. A qualitative approach was employed in this research, located in Pariaman Regency, West Sumatra Province from July to October 2023. The research respondents were the group administrators from 8 farmer groups who had received an organic certificate from the West Sumatra Organic Certification Institute in the period of 2015 to 2022. The key informants were agricultural extension workers, administrators of the West Sumatra Organic Certification Institute, Padang Pariaman Regency Agriculture Service staff, and members of the West Sumatra Organic Task Force. The data collected consists of primary data and secondary data. Data were descriptively and qualitatively analyzed in percentages. The results of the research show that there are three categories of farmer group behavior in responding to organic certification: (a) Certification for a period then stopping, (b) certification, extending and stopping, (c) certification, extending and continuing the certification. One organic certification period last for three years, the farmer group has to reapply the administration to extend the certificate. The number of farmer groups that continue to extend certification is also lower than the farmer groups that do not continue certification, around 30%. The research results show that the number of farmer groups that have received organic certification in Padang Pariaman Regency tends to decrease. This decrease in number was also accompanied by a decrease in the number of farmers implementing organic farming in farmer groups that extended their certification for the second period. Several factors identified that caused the low sustainability of organic certification in organic farmer groups were lack of assistance from extension workers, lack of government support, and the complexity in the implementation of organic farming and product markets organic farming and the process certification documents.