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Rainforest Alliance logo
Rainforest Alliance
Global · Tier 3 Specialty
?
'Natural' (NOT a certification)
Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing
JAS Organic logo
JAS Organic
Japan · 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 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.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.
ScopeFoodSeveral categoriesFood
Established1987—2001
InspectionAnnual third-party audit (RA-accredited)NoneAnnual on-site by MAFF-registered certifier
Residue testingRisk-basedNoneRequired for high-risk operations
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.
  • Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.
  • ≥95% organic ingredients.
  • No synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, no GMOs.
  • Annual inspection by a MAFF-registered certifier.
Does NOT
  • Allows synthetic pesticides — does NOT meet any organic standard. Often confused with organic but it's a different programme.
  • 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.
  • Mutual recognition with the US, EU, and Canada applies to specific product categories — check each agreement before importing.

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