Skip to content
Organic.is
All certifications
Side-by-side

Compare certifications.

Up to four certifications, side by side. Choose which ones

 
?
'Natural' (NOT a certification)
Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing
Rainforest Alliance logo
Rainforest Alliance
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
Nordic Swan Ecolabel logo
Nordic Swan Ecolabel
Nordic Countries · 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.Sustainable-agriculture certification (post-2020 merged standard with UTZ). Covers environmental, social, and economic criteria. NOT an organic mark.The official environmental label of the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland). Covers ~60 product categories from cleaning products to hotels — NOT specifically an organic standard.
ScopeSeveral categoriesFoodSeveral categories
Established—19871989
InspectionNoneAnnual third-party audit (RA-accredited)On-site + product review by national Ecolabel office
Residue testingNoneRisk-basedRisk-based per category
Guarantees
  • Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
  • 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.
  • Lifecycle-based environmental criteria for the product category.
  • Restrictions on hazardous chemicals.
  • Recyclability and packaging requirements.
  • Audited every 3-5 years against an updated standard.
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.
  • Allows synthetic pesticides — does NOT meet any organic standard. Often confused with organic but it's a different programme.
  • Doesn't certify food as organic — Nordic Swan on a food package means lower-environmental-impact, not 'no synthetic pesticides'.

Choose up to 4 (3 chosen)

Stay in the loop

Get notified when we publish new articles, updates, and organic guides. No spam, just honest content, straight to your inbox.

Compare certifications · Organic.is