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Demeter International logo
Demeter International
Global · Tier 2 Trusted
AB (Agriculture Biologique) logo
AB (Agriculture Biologique)
France · Tier 2 Trusted
Rainforest Alliance logo
Rainforest Alliance
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
What it meansThe 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.France's national organic mark, owned by the Ministry of Agriculture. Sits alongside the EU Leaf on virtually all French organic packaging.Sustainable-agriculture certification (post-2020 merged standard with UTZ). Covers environmental, social, and economic criteria. NOT an organic mark.
ScopeSeveral categoriesFoodFood
Established192819851987
InspectionAnnual on-site by Demeter-accredited inspectorsAnnual on-site by French-accredited certifiersAnnual third-party audit (RA-accredited)
Residue testingRisk-based on top of organicRisk-basedRisk-based
Guarantees
  • 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.
  • EU baseline organic (EU 2018/848).
  • Annual on-site inspection by accredited French certifiers (Ecocert, Bureau Veritas, Qualité-France).
  • Reduced (not eliminated) synthetic pesticide use, with bans on the most hazardous classes.
  • Forest conservation requirements (no deforestation after the cut-off date).
  • Worker welfare and community development requirements.
  • Annual third-party audit.
Does NOT
  • 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.
  • Same standard as the EU Leaf — AB is the brand consumers recognise, not a stricter rule.
  • Allows synthetic pesticides — does NOT meet any organic standard. Often confused with organic but it's a different programme.

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