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	? 'Natural' (NOT a certification) Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing	IFM IFOAM — Organics International Global · Tier 2 Trusted	EU Ecolabel (Flower) European Union · Tier 3 Specialty	JAS Organic Japan · Tier 1 Gold
What it means	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.	The international umbrella body for the organic movement. Not a product label — IFOAM accredits other certifiers worldwide via the IFOAM Family of Standards. If a cert is 'IFOAM-accredited' it has been benchmarked to a globally consistent baseline.	The European Commission's voluntary environmental label. Covers cleaning products, paper, textiles, electronics, accommodation services. NOT an organic mark.	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.
Scope	Several categories	Several categories	Several categories	Food
Established	—	1972	1992	2001
Inspection	None	Periodic review of accredited certifier bodies	Annual audit by national Ecolabel competent body	Annual on-site by MAFF-registered certifier
Residue testing	None	Delegated to accredited certifiers	Per-category limits	Required for high-risk operations
Guarantees	Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.	Accredited certifiers meet the IFOAM Norms and the IFOAM Family of Standards. Independent peer review of certifier governance, inspection rigor, and conflict-of-interest controls.	Lifecycle-based environmental criteria per product category. Restrictions on hazardous chemicals. Annual licence renewal with audit.	≥95% organic ingredients. No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs. Annual inspection by a MAFF-registered certifier.
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.	Does NOT certify products directly — only certifiers. Look for the underlying national / private mark on the package.	Doesn't apply to food. Doesn't mean organic.	Mutual recognition with the US, EU, and Canada applies to specific product categories — check each agreement before importing.

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