The effort to build a unified, community-led certification standard for Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in Southeast Asia recently gained significant momentum in Cambodia, with stakeholders moving to establish a formal National Participatory Guarantee System (PGS). This mechanism is designed to align with the regional Forest Harvest Association (FHA) framework, ensuring products meet standards for traceability, sustainability, and fair value.
Laying the Foundation: Key Discussions and Workshop
The process began with an online discussion on June 30, 2025, led by NTFP-EP and the Forest Harvest Association (FHA), to exchange experiences on establishing a national PGS for NTFPs in Cambodia. Participants included the Intellectual Property Office–Ministry of Commerce, Forestry Administration, WWF Cambodia, and various NTFP groups. Key takeaways included:
- Existing PGS examples in Cambodia, particularly for honey, need to be updated and strengthened in areas like monitoring and stakeholder recognition.
- Participants recognized that while the PGS ROLES (Indonesia) and FHA models seemed complex initially, they are fundamentally simpler than expensive third-party certifications, relying on local inspectors and networks.
- The Ministry of Commerce highlighted collective trademarks as a more affordable and accessible option for product labeling than Geographical Indications (GI).
A critical follow-up was the two-day workshop held in Phnom Penh on July 14-15, 2025, convened by NTFP-EP Asia, CLEP/NTFP-EP Cambodia, and FHA, along with the Ministry of Commerce and Forestry Administration.
Workshop Outcomes and Strategic Direction
The workshop emphasized Cambodia’s potential for NTFPs beyond timber, focusing on institutional coordination and policy alignment to support community livelihoods.
Key outcomes and insights from the workshop included:
- Simpler Certification: PGS was confirmed as a simpler, more inclusive alternative to expensive third-party certification.
- Traceability: Stakeholders encouraged the use of collective marks and QR codes to strengthen product traceability and consumer trust.
- Operational Priority: Participants agreed on priority goals, including developing an operational PGS system for NTFPs at both national and local levels and strengthening policy and institutional frameworks to enable participatory certification.
Formation of the National Working Group
The most significant step was the establishment of a National Working Group on PGS for NTFPs in Cambodia. This group will coordinate planning and implementation from July 2025 to June 2026.
The Working Group is led by:
- CLEP/NTFP-EP Cambodia (Coordinator)
- CBHE
- Nature Wild
- Forestry Administration (FA)
- Conservation International (CI)
The working group held a follow-up meeting on August 19, 2025, to refine the National PGS Framework and agree on shared responsibilities. This collective effort reaffirms the commitment to build a unified national PGS mechanism that advances fair trade and sustainable forest management, aligning with the regional FHA framework.