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

Compare certifications.

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

 
Nordic Swan Ecolabel logo
Nordic Swan Ecolabel
Nordic Countries · Tier 3 Specialty
?
'Natural' (NOT a certification)
Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing
AB (Agriculture Biologique) logo
AB (Agriculture Biologique)
France · Tier 2 Trusted
What it meansThe 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.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.France's national organic mark, owned by the Ministry of Agriculture. Sits alongside the EU Leaf on virtually all French organic packaging.
ScopeSeveral categoriesSeveral categoriesFood
Established1989—1985
InspectionOn-site + product review by national Ecolabel officeNoneAnnual on-site by French-accredited certifiers
Residue testingRisk-based per categoryNoneRisk-based
Guarantees
  • 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.
  • Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
  • EU baseline organic (EU 2018/848).
  • Annual on-site inspection by accredited French certifiers (Ecocert, Bureau Veritas, Qualité-France).
Does NOT
  • Doesn't certify food as organic — Nordic Swan on a food package means lower-environmental-impact, not 'no synthetic pesticides'.
  • 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.
  • Same standard as the EU Leaf — AB is the brand consumers recognise, not a stricter rule.

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