● The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) organised several meetings on group certification, and then published a set of normative and training documents.
● CERES, taking into account these different approaches, has worked out its own policy; the following is based on this interpretation.
2.标准框架
● 根据NOP认证标准，每营业额少于5000美元的农场主不必认证就可销售其有机产品，然而，美国的小农户不能使用USD印章把产品直接卖给消费者。
● 2003年欧盟委员会根据EEC2092/91标准为团体认证一系列的规则，然而此文件不具有法律约束力，而且各欧盟成员国对此也用不同的立场。此文件对发展中国家作出的种种限制在经济合作与发展组织有明确规定。网址：（）
● 国际联邦农产品运动（组织）就团体认证问题组织了几次会议并出台了一系列标准和培训材料。
CERES通过考虑不同的方法，制定出了自己的政策。以下对此作具体的解释说明：

3. What are smallholders:
● We agree with the definition of the EU guidance, that smallholders in this context should be defined as producers, for whom the cost of individual certification would exceed 2% of their annual turnover obtained with the certified product.
3．什么是小农户：
● 我们赞同欧盟准则中对此所下的定义，那就是，在此背景下的小农户被认为是，单个通过认证所需成本超过其被认证产品每年营业额的2%的生产商。

4. What is a producer group:
● Producer groups can be cooperatives, associations, or similar organisations; but also processing or trade companies can organise their suppliers in a producer group.