As most certification standards originated in temperate developed
countries, they are not always applicable in other regions, especially
in less-developed countries. High demand for organic foods
in Europe and North America has resulted in the import of organic
foods from large farms in less-developed countries. Although premium
prices for exported foods may be beneficial to farmers, the
inaccessibility of many of these foods to local consumers raises questions about food security and social equity. Participatory guarantee
systems, which rely on local stakeholder verification, have
emerged as a more locally focused alternative to traditional certification,
and could lead to the development of more locally relevant
visions for the production and consumption of organic foods