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'Natural' (NOT a certification)
Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing
Bio Suisse 'Knospe' (Bud) logo
Bio Suisse 'Knospe' (Bud)
Switzerland · Tier 2 Trusted
Fairtrade International logo
Fairtrade International
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
What it meansThe 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.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.Certifies fair prices and conditions for producers in developing countries — not organic, not environmental. Common on coffee, cocoa, sugar, bananas, tea.
ScopeSeveral categoriesFoodFood
Established—19811997
InspectionNoneAnnual on-site, bio.inspecta accreditedAnnual on-site by FLOCERT (independent of Fairtrade International)
Residue testingNoneRequiredNot for organic — Fairtrade alone doesn't test residues
Guarantees
  • Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
  • Whole-farm conversion.
  • Lower nitrogen inputs than the Swiss federal organic baseline.
  • Strong animal welfare requirements.
  • Annual on-site inspection.
  • Minimum price floors for producer cooperatives.
  • Fairtrade Premium paid into community-development funds.
  • Bans on the worst forms of child and forced labour.
  • Producer organisations must be small-farmer cooperatives or hired-labour plantations meeting standards.
Does NOT
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Doesn't mean organic — many Fairtrade products are conventionally grown. A separate Fairtrade-Organic dual certification exists.

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