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Rainforest Alliance logo
Rainforest Alliance
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
Canada Organic Biologique logo
Canada Organic Biologique
Canada · Tier 1 Gold
USDA Organic logo
USDA Organic
United States · Tier 1 Gold
What it meansSustainable-agriculture certification (post-2020 merged standard with UTZ). Covers environmental, social, and economic criteria. NOT an organic mark.The federal Canadian organic standard, mandatory on any agricultural product sold across provincial borders or imported as 'organic'.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.
ScopeFoodFoodFood
Established198720092002
InspectionAnnual third-party audit (RA-accredited)Annual on-site by CFIA-accredited certifierAnnual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier
Residue testingRisk-basedRisk-based, conducted by accredited certifiersRequired on ≥5% of operations annually
Guarantees
  • 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.
  • ≥95% organic ingredients (single-ingredient products: 100%).
  • No synthetic pesticides, no GMOs, no irradiation.
  • Annual third-party certification under the Canada Organic Regime.
  • 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.
Does NOT
  • Allows synthetic pesticides — does NOT meet any organic standard. Often confused with organic but it's a different programme.
  • Provincial sales-only operations are not legally required to carry it (though many do voluntarily).
  • 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.

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