All certifications

Side-by-side

Compare certifications.

Up to four certifications, side by side. Choose which ones

	Bioland Germany · Tier 2 Trusted	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted	Non-GMO Project Verified United States · Tier 3 Specialty	Bio Suisse 'Knospe' (Bud) Switzerland · Tier 2 Trusted
What it means	Germany's largest organic farmers' association. Bioland-certified farms operate to a stricter private standard than the EU baseline.	The leading certification for organic cosmetics in Europe. Two grades: COSMOS Organic (≥95% organic agricultural ingredients) and COSMOS Natural (no organic minimum, but the same restricted-ingredient list).	North America's leading 'no genetically modified organisms' certification. Tests for the presence of GMOs in finished products. NOT organic.	The Swiss organic farmers' federation mark. The Knospe (Bud) is the dominant organic mark in Swiss supermarkets and operates to standards stricter than the Swiss federal organic ordinance.
Scope	Food	Cosmetics	Food	Food
Established	1971	2010	2010	1981
Inspection	Annual on-site by Bioland-accredited inspectors	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier	Annual third-party audit + lab testing	Annual on-site, bio.inspecta accredited
Residue testing	Required	Risk-based	GMO testing only (not pesticide)	Required
Guarantees	Whole-farm conversion (no parallel conventional production). Lower permitted nitrogen inputs than EU baseline. Animal welfare standards stricter than EU baseline. Annual on-site inspection.	COSMOS Organic: ≥95% organic agricultural ingredients. COSMOS Natural: minimum natural-origin ingredients with banned synthetic restrictions. No GMOs, no parabens, no PEGs, no synthetic fragrances, no SLS/SLES. Biodegradability requirements. Annual on-site audit.	Verified absence of GMO ingredients (with action thresholds, not zero tolerance). Annual third-party verification. Tracing and segregation across the supply chain.	Whole-farm conversion. Lower nitrogen inputs than the Swiss federal organic baseline. Strong animal welfare requirements. Annual on-site inspection.
Does NOT	Like Naturland, membership-based — only Bioland-association farms can use the mark.	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.	Doesn't mean organic — Non-GMO products can use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers freely.	Switzerland is outside the EU — the Knospe is recognised by the EU under the Switzerland-EU equivalence agreement, but not by USDA without further certification.

Choose up to 4 (4 chosen)

That's four — remove one to add another.

Stay in the loop

Get notified when we publish new articles, updates, and organic guides. No spam, just honest content, straight to your inbox.

Compare certifications · Organic.is