Why We Founded IGSO: The Beginning of a Global Growers Movement (2018)

IGSO Inauguration 2018 https://www.hk01.com/%E6%95%99%E7%85%AE/204204/%E6%99%BA%E8%83%BD%E9%9B%AA%E6%AB%83-%E6%B0%B4%E6%9E%9C%E8%B2%A9%E8%B3%A3%E6%A9%9F%E6%95%99%E4%BD%A0%E6%8F%80%E7%94%9F%E6%9E%9C-igso%E6%88%90%E7%AB%8B%E7%9B%9C%E7%B5%95%E6%B0%B4%E6%9E%9C%E5%86%92%E7%89%8C%E8%B2%A8

When we began the journey that would later become IGSO, we were not thinking about complex technologies, certification systems, or international policy frameworks.In 2018, the motivation was far more human and far more urgent:

Great growers were producing great fruit, but the world had no way to recognize or protect them.

At that time, we were working closely with ten growers from around the world—from California to South Africa to New Zealand. They were all exceptional in their craft, passionate about their orchards, and deeply committed to quality.Yet no matter how different their backgrounds were, they all suffered from the same structural problems in global agriculture.

And that is where the idea for IGSO was born.

1. What We Saw: Great Growers Without a Global Voice

Whether it was a table grape grower in California, a blueberry farm in South Africa, or a specialty pear orchard in New Zealand, every grower expressed the same frustrations:

• Traceability simply did not exist.Once the fruit left the farm, it entered a void. No one could truly follow it. No one could verify it. No one could protect its authenticity.

• Branding changed along the way.Growers spent years perfecting their produce, only for their identity to be erased by repacking, renaming, or arbitrary marketing decisions made far downstream.

• Quality was not communicated in a universal language.Every market, every buyer, and every country defined “quality” differently, leaving growers unable to express their true value.

• Counterfeits and misrepresentation damaged honest growers.Good growers were treated the same as irresponsible ones because the market had no mechanism to distinguish them.

We saw clearly:The problem was not the growers. The problem was the system.

Good growers were invisible in a global market that rewarded price over integrity.

2. The Fundamental Gap: No Common Standard, No Shared Truth

As we worked with growers across different continents, one undeniable fact became obvious:

There was no global common language for quality, origin, or authenticity.

Every country had its own grading.Every buyer had their own requirement.Every supply chain created its own paperwork.None of it connected.

This fragmentation meant that growers could not:

• prove their practices,

• protect their brand identity,

• or differentiate themselves internationally.

The world lacked a unified growers standard—something clear, fair, transparent, and globally respected.

IGSO was created to fill exactly this gap.

3. Why Found IGSO in Hong Kong: A Place With No Conflict of Interest

During our early discussions, one critical question emerged:

“If growers around the world need a neutral body to define fairness and standards, where should this organization be based?”

The answer turned out to be both simple and powerful:

Hong Kong.

Hong Kong does not grow fruits at commercial scale.We are not competitors to any grower in any country.This neutrality gave Hong Kong a unique position in the global agricultural landscape.

Because Hong Kong has no competing agricultural agenda, it became the ideal place to define:

• what standards should look like,

• what packaging should communicate truthfully,

• how quality should be measured,

• how taste profiles and genetic identity should be respected,

• how specifications could become universal and fair.

In other words:

IGSO was created in a place that grows no fruit, so it can represent every grower fairly.

This is why the founding growers—across multiple countries—agreed that Hong Kong was the right home for IGSO.

4. Why IGSO Had to Be a Non-Profit Organization

We learned early on that:

If a standard is influenced by business interest, it will never earn global trust.

Growers needed an organization that was:

• independent

• neutral

• transparent

• globally open

• mission-driven, not profit-driven

Therefore, IGSO was established as a non-profit global growers organization.

Its purpose was not to trade fruit, not to promote one origin over another, not to favour specific companies—but to elevate every grower who commits to quality and integrity.

This structure was essential to building credibility from day one.

5. The Early Mission (Before Any Technology Existed)

In 2018, IGSO had no technology tools. No advanced traceability. No certification models.

Instead, our mission was guided by four simple principles:

1. Create universal growers standards

Something that could express quality clearly across borders.

2. Build transparency starting from the origin

So that a grower’s value would not disappear once fruit left the farm gate.

3. Protect growers’ identity and reputation

Ensuring branding, origin, and integrity remain respected along every step.

4. Unite growers into a global community

The first ten growers proved that growers everywhere share the same challenges—and the same desire for fairness.

This belief formed the foundation of everything IGSO would become later.

6. The Real Reason IGSO Exists

If we put it into one sentence:

IGSO was founded because the world needed a fair system to recognize good growers.

Not a government system.Not a commercial platform.But a global, neutral, non-profit organization that stands for truth, transparency, and professional standards.

We believe good growers deserve:

• to be understood,

• to be trusted,

• to be valued,

• and to be rewarded fairly for their work.

And that belief is what sparked IGSO’s creation long before the world started talking about digital agriculture, AI, or trusted supply chain infrastructure.