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China Organic (COFCC) logo
China Organic (COFCC)
China · Tier 1 Gold
Demeter International logo
Demeter International
Global · Tier 2 Trusted
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'Natural' (NOT a certification)
Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing
What it meansChina's national organic certification under the Certification and Accreditation Administration. Mandatory on any product sold as '有机' (organic) in mainland China.The certification mark for biodynamic agriculture. Stricter than any government organic standard: it covers the entire farm as a closed ecosystem, follows a planting calendar tied to lunar/solar cycles, and bans many practices the baseline organic rules permit.The word 'natural' on packaging is a marketing term, not a certification. In most jurisdictions there's no legal definition, no standard, and no inspection. A product labelled 'natural' can contain synthetic ingredients, pesticides, GMOs, and artificial flavours.
ScopeFoodSeveral categoriesSeveral categories
Established20051928—
InspectionAnnual on-site by CNCA-accredited certifierAnnual on-site by Demeter-accredited inspectorsNone
Residue testingRequiredRisk-based on top of organicNone
Guarantees
  • ≥95% organic ingredients.
  • No synthetic pesticides, no GMOs.
  • Annual third-party certification.
  • Each certified product carries a unique 17-digit traceability code.
  • All organic standards PLUS biodynamic preparations and whole-farm planning.
  • Whole-farm certification (not single fields/products).
  • Annual on-site inspection by Demeter-accredited inspectors.
  • Animal welfare standards stricter than baseline organic.
  • Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
Does NOT
  • Imported organic foods must be re-certified under the Chinese standard — overseas certifications alone are not accepted for the 有机 label.
  • Biodynamic philosophy includes esoteric elements (lunar planting, herbal preparations) that many scientists view as non-evidence-based — the agronomic outcomes are still good, the underlying claims about cosmic forces are not testable.
  • Doesn't mean organic. Doesn't mean pesticide-free. Doesn't mean GMO-free. Doesn't mean ethically produced.
  • Some markets (e.g. the US FDA on food, EU on cosmetics) place very limited restrictions on the word, but enforcement is weak.

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