Honest Labels: Decoding the Secrets of Fine Organic Print

USDA (USA) “100 Percent Organic” must contain only organically produced ingredients. “Organic” must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients. “Made with Organic Ingredients” must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. USA.ams.usda.gov

NATRUE (Belgium) is a cosmetic standard that requires 100 percent certified pure natural and derived natural (natural origin) ingredients. “Organic Cosmetics” guarantees at least 95 percent of the natural ingredients stem from controlled organic cultivation and/or controlled wild collection. “Natural Cosmetics with Organic Portion” guarantees at least 70 percent of the natural ingredients stem from controlled organic cultivation and/or controlled wild collection. natrue.org

BIODYNAMIC (Germany) products must adhere to the Demeter Farm Standard for a minimum of three years if conventionally farmed, or a minimum of one year if organically farmed. The entire farm must be certified, not just a portion of land within the farm. The Demeter Biodynamic® Farm Standard reflects the Biodynamic principle of the farm as a living organism: self-contained, self-sustaining, following the cycles of nature. demeter-usa.org

OREGON TILTH (USA) exists to educate gardeners, farmers, legislators, and the general public about the need to develop and use sustainable growing practices that promote soil health, conserve natural resources, and prevent environmental degradation while producing a clean and healthful food supply for humanity. tilth.org

SOIL ASSOCIATION (United Kingdom) is a standard for organic and made-with-organic ingredients. “Organic” must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients. “Made with Organic Ingredients” must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. soilassociation.org

ECOCERT (France) requires a minimum of 95 percent natural origin as a baseline entry and a minimum of 5 percent organic content for the “Natural” standard, and a minimum of 10 percent organic content for the “Natural/Organic” standard. Up to 5 percent of ingredients can be synthetic. ecocert.com

BDIH (Germany) requires 100 percent natural origin or nature-identical ingredients to gain the “natural” standard. It does not have a standard for organic certification. Nature-identical ingredients are those that are 100 percent identical in composition to their counterparts in nature, but are created in the laboratory to ensure stability, safety, and sustainability. bdih.org

NPA (USA) requires a minimum of 95 percent natural origin for the “Natural” standard. Limited amounts of synthetics are allowed. It does not have a standard for organic certification. npainfo.org

ACO & OFC (Australia) are food and cosmetic standards controlled by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fishing & Forestry. No product can leave Australia, if manufactured there, with the word “organic” unless certified by one of the approved Australian bodies—100 percent Organic means just that; Certified Organic is at least 95 percent organic; Certified Organic Ingredients has a minimum of 70 percent organic ingredients. aco.net.au and organicfoodchain.com.au