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Rainforest Alliance logo
Rainforest Alliance
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
JAS Organic logo
JAS Organic
Japan · 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.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.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
Established198720012002
InspectionAnnual third-party audit (RA-accredited)Annual on-site by MAFF-registered certifierAnnual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier
Residue testingRisk-basedRequired for high-risk operationsRequired 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.
  • No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs.
  • Annual inspection by a MAFF-registered certifier.
  • 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.
  • Mutual recognition with the US, EU, and Canada applies to specific product categories — check each agreement before importing.
  • 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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