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Rainforest Alliance logo
Rainforest Alliance
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
Demeter International logo
Demeter International
Global · Tier 2 Trusted
OTC
OEKO-TEX Organic Cotton
Global · Tier 2 Trusted
What it meansSustainable-agriculture certification (post-2020 merged standard with UTZ). Covers environmental, social, and economic criteria. NOT an organic mark.The certification mark for biodynamic agriculture. Stricter than any government organic standard: it covers the entire farm as a closed ecosystem, follows a planting calendar tied to lunar/solar cycles, and bans many practices the baseline organic rules permit.Launched April 2023 by the OEKO-TEX Association. A separate certificate from Standard 100 that combines the Standard 100 chemical-residue test with verified organic-cotton supply chain — addressing the long-standing confusion that Standard 100 alone is NOT an organic mark.
ScopeFoodSeveral categoriesTextiles
Established198719282023
InspectionAnnual third-party audit (RA-accredited)Annual on-site by Demeter-accredited inspectorsAnnual on-site by OEKO-TEX-accredited institute (Hohenstein et al.)
Residue testingRisk-basedRisk-based on top of organicRequired (Standard 100 panel + GMO/pesticide screening)
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.
  • All organic standards PLUS biodynamic preparations and whole-farm planning.
  • Whole-farm certification (not single fields/products).
  • Annual on-site inspection by Demeter-accredited inspectors.
  • Animal welfare standards stricter than baseline organic.
  • Two grades: 'Organic Cotton' (100% certified-organic cotton) and 'Organic Cotton Blended' (≥70% certified-organic cotton).
  • Full Standard 100 chemical residue test on the finished product.
  • Additional GMO test + pesticide residue test specific to organic farming.
  • Verified chain of custody from farm to finished product.
  • Annual re-certification with independent OEKO-TEX institute audits.
Does NOT
  • Allows synthetic pesticides — does NOT meet any organic standard. Often confused with organic but it's a different programme.
  • Biodynamic philosophy includes esoteric elements (lunar planting, herbal preparations) that many scientists view as non-evidence-based — the agronomic outcomes are still good, the underlying claims about cosmic forces are not testable.
  • Doesn't certify the social/labour conditions across the supply chain in the way GOTS does (use OEKO-TEX STeP for that, or pair with GOTS).
  • Cotton-only — doesn't apply to other organic fibres (wool, hemp, linen).

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Compare certifications · Organic.is