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	USDA Organic United States · Tier 1 Gold	China Organic (COFCC) China · Tier 1 Gold	? 'Natural' (NOT a certification) Worldwide · Tier 4 Marketing	Global Organic Textile Standard Global · Tier 2 Trusted
What it means	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.	China's national organic certification under the Certification and Accreditation Administration. Mandatory on any product sold as '有机' (organic) in mainland China.	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.	The strictest, most widely-recognised standard for organic textiles. Covers the full supply chain from organic fibre to finished garment, with environmental AND social criteria.
Scope	Food	Food	Several categories	Textiles
Established	2002	2005	—	2002
Inspection	Annual on-site by USDA-accredited certifier	Annual on-site by CNCA-accredited certifier	None	Annual on-site, IOAS-accredited
Residue testing	Required on ≥5% of operations annually	Required	None	Required for finished products
Guarantees	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.	≥95% organic ingredients. No synthetic pesticides, no GMOs. Annual third-party certification. Each certified product carries a unique 17-digit traceability code.	Nothing. It is not a certification and there is no body verifying anything.	≥70% certified-organic natural fibre (the 'organic' grade requires ≥95%). Restricted dyes, no chlorine bleach, no formaldehyde, no banned heavy metals. Wastewater treatment requirements. Social standards based on ILO core conventions (no child labour, no forced labour, fair wages, safe workplace). Annual on-site inspection by IOAS-accredited certifier.
Does NOT	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.	Imported organic foods must be re-certified under the Chinese standard — overseas certifications alone are not accepted for the 有机 label.	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.	Doesn't cover non-textile components (zips, buttons, prints) beyond the chemical-restriction list.

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