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Demeter International logo
Demeter International
Global · Tier 2 Trusted
Rainforest Alliance logo
Rainforest Alliance
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
AB (Agriculture Biologique) logo
AB (Agriculture Biologique)
France · Tier 2 Trusted
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.Sustainable-agriculture certification (post-2020 merged standard with UTZ). Covers environmental, social, and economic criteria. NOT an organic mark.France's national organic mark, owned by the Ministry of Agriculture. Sits alongside the EU Leaf on virtually all French organic packaging.
ScopeSeveral categoriesFoodFood
Established192819871985
InspectionAnnual on-site by Demeter-accredited inspectorsAnnual third-party audit (RA-accredited)Annual on-site by French-accredited certifiers
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.
  • 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.
  • EU baseline organic (EU 2018/848).
  • Annual on-site inspection by accredited French certifiers (Ecocert, Bureau Veritas, Qualité-France).
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.
  • Allows synthetic pesticides — does NOT meet any organic standard. Often confused with organic but it's a different programme.
  • Same standard as the EU Leaf — AB is the brand consumers recognise, not a stricter rule.

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