● 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.標準框架
● 根據NOP認證標準，每營業額少于5000美元的農場主不必認證就可銷售其有機產品，然而，美國的小農戶不能使用USD印章把產品直接賣給消費者。
● 2003年歐盟委員會根據EEC2092/91標準為團體認證一系列的規則，然而此文件不具有法律約束力，而且各歐盟成員國對此也用不同的立場。此文件對發展中國家作出的種種限制在經濟合作與發展組織有明確規定。網址：（）
● 國際聯邦農產品運動（組織）就團體認證問題組織了幾次會議并出臺了一系列標準和培訓材料。
CERES通過考慮不同的方法，制定出了自己的政策。以下對此作具體的解釋說明：

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.
3．什么是小農戶：
● 我們贊同歐盟準則中對此所下的定義，那就是，在此背景下的小農戶被認為是，單個通過認證所需成本超過其被認證產品每年營業額的2%的生產商。

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.