Why do some Participatory Guarantee Systems emerge, become effective, and are sustained over time, while others fail? An application of the Ostrom social-ecological system framework

Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) can play an important role in territorial re-embedding of agri-food systems into their Social-Ecological Systems (SES), thereby stimulating multifunctionality of agriculture and the diversification of the production system. This represents an opportunity to promote endogenous rural development, employment and the viability of rural communities, as well as to support family agriculture, food sovereignty, and food security. However, the underlying biophysical, social, and economic conditions of the SES that affect the likelihood of building these institutions through collective action have hardly been studied. In order to explore this, we used the conceptual framework of SES designed by Elinor Ostrom to identify the conditions under which PGS, and the collective action that created them, emerge, become effective, and are sustained over time. This information may help land managers, policy makers, and planners to design policies that facilitate the building of effective and sustainable PGS over time. •Ostrom SES framework is used to understand the challenges that conditions of the SES pose to PGS.•The initial building of PGS depends on trust and reciprocal cooperation.•Trust and cooperation are not sufficient to ensure PGS long-run sustainability.•PGS are not effective in all settings.•PGS play an important role in territorial re-embedding agri-food systems into the SES.