Certifiers
HIGHLIGHTED CERTIFIERS
These certifications are in numerous locations throughout the US and internationally including grocery stores and health food stores.
What is Land to Market™?
Land to Market™ is the world’s first verified regenerative sourcing solution for raw materials such as meat, dairy, leather, and wool. Their certification process focuses on assessing soil health, biodiversity enhancement, ecosystem function improvement, and animal welfare.
Their verification system, Ecological Outcome Verification™ (EOV™) measures regeneration through a host of ecological indicators including ground cover, water infiltration, biodiversity, and soil carbon and health. EOV measures leading (short-term) above-ground indicators and lagging (long-term) below-ground indicators that correlate with the four ecosystem processes taught in Holistic Management: nutrient and water cycling, energy flow, and community dynamics.
What is Regenerative Organic Certified®?
Regenerative Organic. Certified® is an agricultural certification for food, fiber, and personal care ingredients.
Based on three pillars, it requires farmers to go above and beyond by practicing agricultural techniques that ensure healthy soil, the ethical and humane treatment of animals, and fairness for farmers & workers. It was created to address the climate crisis, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, factory farming, and fractured rural economies globally.
Regenerative Organic Certified® has three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Each requires a different number and scope of regenerative organic practices used. Farms are required to improve through the different levels over the years in order to maintain certification. The full framework is available at RegenOrganic.org.
What is Regenified™?
Regenified™ is a practice and outcome-based land verification and product certification program driving the adoption of certified products. They focus on certifying products and processes that contribute to soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem restoration. Key factors scrutinized include carbon sequestration, water management strategies, and adoption of regenerative agricultural methods.
Throughout the supply chain, from raw material sourcing to distribution, Regenified™ emphasizes transparency and accountability. Regenified™ ‘s certification process utilizes the 6-3-4 Verification Standard to assess practices enhancing biodiversity, acknowledge the interconnectedness of farm decisions, and measure the outcomes of regenerative practices. This framework ensures adherence to regenerative principles and promotes sustainability within the industry.
What is the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)?
The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), managed by Textile Exchange©, ensures ethical and sustainable wool production through their certification process. This process involves on-farm assessments and independent audits conducted by certified auditors. Key aspects evaluated include animal welfare, land management practices, and social responsibility criteria.
RWS creates an industry benchmark that will drive improvements in animal care and land management and social welfare where needed; and Provide a chain of custody system from farm to final product so that consumers are confident that the wool in the products they choose is truly RWS.
What is Fibershed?
Fibershed focuses on developing natural fiber and dye systems that contribute to climate stabilization. Their objectives include achieving a potential carbon drawdown of 6 billion pounds.
They employ practice-based verification using research-based modeling to assess carbon and water impacts. Small to midsize direct-to-consumer sellers receive logos, while larger fine wool producers join a fiber pool to access markets. Fibershed also aids the California Cotton & Climate Coalition, connecting cotton producers with supportive brands. Fibershed also provides grants to producers in the Climate Beneficial program for implementing new sustainable practices like planting hedgerows and windbreaks.
What is A Greener World?
As an independent, nonprofit certifier, AGW provides whole-farm, place-based certifications.
The Certified Regenerative by AGW standards, for example, cover a holistic range of farm specific, risk-based metrics, such as soil health, biodiversity, water quality, air quality, long-term financial viability, and animal welfare. Other certifications include Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW, Certified Non-GMO by AGW, and Certification for Further Processors and Distributors, which help consumers align their food choices with their values.
What is The Real Organic Project?
The Real Organic Project centers on three core principles: fostering a dedicated community, prioritizing food grown in fertile soil, and ensuring animals are raised on pasture. Its certification standards encompass criteria such as soil health, greenhouse production, origin of livestock, dairy grazing, animal welfare, and hired labor protections, thereby establishing a superior standard for organic agriculture. Through advocacy for transparency and integrity in organic farming practices, the Real Organic Project endeavors to offer consumers confidence that certified organic products adhere to elevated ethical and environmental benchmarks compared to USDA Organic certification.
What is the Soil & Climate Initiative?
The Soil & Climate Initiative (SCI) aims to recognize the crucial role of healthy soil in sequestering carbon and mitigating climate change. SCI’s not-for-profit, third-party verification program emphasizes the importance of regenerative farming techniques such as Minimizing Soil Disturbance, Living Roots in the Ground Year Round, Keeping Year-Round Soil Coverage, Maximizing Diversity Above and Below Ground, Appropriate Integration of Livestock, Reducing Synthetic Inputs, and Learning.
Farmers are required to develop and implement three-year Field Plans that address the SCI Regenerative Pillars listed above. These plans are designed to facilitate continuous improvement over a baseline and to track and report Soil Health Outcomes. Successful verification to SCI’s standards enables use of the Soil & Climate Health Initiative Verified label on product packaging. SCI’s standards and protocols are available at: soilclimateinitiative.org.
What is Soil Regen?
Soil Regen is committed to promoting regenerative agriculture practices for sustainable land stewardship. They have introduced Regenerative Verified™ and Regeneratively Grown™ certifications, offering a scientifically rigorous process to validate the labeling of agricultural products grown and produced using regenerative farming practices.
This certification process involves a two-step system of soil testing analysis and production management verification. Through laboratory soil testing analysis and verification of regenerative farming practices such as cover cropping, rotational grazing, and reduced synthetic inputs, Soil Regen confirms and validates the use of the Regenerative Verified™ and Regeneratively Grown™ labels. This initiative underscores Soil Regen’s dedication to fostering transparency and accountability in the agricultural industry while promoting environmentally sustainable practices.
What is Demeter Certified Biodynamic®?
The Demeter Association certifies farmers, ranchers, and processors in the USA seeking recognition for their agricultural products under the “Biodynamic®”, “Demeter®”, and “Demeter Certified Biodynamic®” trademarks. To qualify as a farm, the land must meet the National Organic Program (NOP) standard as a baseline and be managed according to Demeter Biodynamic® Farm Standards for a year. Certification entails holistic farming practices emphasizing ecosystem self-containment, livestock integration, limited imported fertility, water conservation, biodiversity, and on-farm pest/disease control. Field-by-field certification is prohibited, emphasizing a whole-farm approach. Use of Biodynamic field sprays and compost preparations is mandated to enhance soil and crop vitality and quality.
The Demeter Processing Standard sets out general requirements for product processing like permitted types of packaging and prohibition of nanotechnology and GMO’s. There are also requirements aimed to preserve the living vitality in the ingredients specific to the type of product – such as wine, oils, grains, herbs, milk, textiles, cosmetics and personal care products, honey, and even compost.