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	JAS Organic Japan · Tier 1 Gold	COSMOS-Organic / Natural European Union · Tier 2 Trusted	USDA Organic United States · Tier 1 Gold	Debio Ø (Norway) Norway · Tier 2 Trusted
What it means	Japan's national organic standard under the Japanese Agricultural Standard system. The mark must appear on any food sold as 'organic' (有機 or オーガニック) in Japan.	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).	The US Department of Agriculture's national organic standard. The green-and-white seal is the legal mark for any food sold as 'organic' in the United States.	Norway's only accredited organic certifier. The Ø-merket is required on any food sold as 'økologisk' in Norway. Operates to EU 2018/848 equivalence plus Norwegian add-ons.
Scope	Food	Cosmetics	Food	Food
Established	2001	2010	2002	1986
Inspection	Annual on-site by MAFF-registered certifier	Annual on-site by COSMOS-accredited certifier	Annual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier	Annual on-site by Debio-accredited inspectors
Residue testing	Required for high-risk operations	Risk-based	Required on ≥5% of operations annually	Required
Guarantees	≥95% organic ingredients. No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs. Annual inspection by a MAFF-registered certifier.	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.	At least 95% of ingredients are certified organic (the '100% Organic' variant requires every ingredient). No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs, no sewage sludge, no irradiation. Annual on-site inspection by a USDA-accredited certifier. Residue testing on at least 5% of certified operations each year.	EU baseline organic. Annual on-site inspection. Norwegian-specific welfare standards (esp. for cold-climate livestock).
Does NOT	Mutual recognition with the US, EU, and Canada applies to specific product categories — check each agreement before importing.	Doesn't certify clinical effectiveness or skin tolerance.	Doesn't certify nutrition, taste, or animal welfare specifically (separate marks like AWA cover welfare). Doesn't guarantee local production — a 'USDA Organic' product can be grown anywhere with an accredited inspector.	Norway is outside the EU — the Ø is recognised under EEA equivalence, not direct EU equivalence.

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