Labels That Matter
There is a climate emergency, we have ten years to change our behaviour to prevent catastrophic global heating. Organic can play a leading role in the fight, but we need to remove the confusion when it comes to labels so that we can be confident about who and what is authentically organic.
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Today we are confronted with a sea of labels with symbols of globes, trees, and flowers with phrases like “environmentally friendly” and “kind to nature”, all meaningless unless they clarify their claims with examples. Sadly we live in an age of 'fake news' and 'greenwashing' is rife, as companies cash into the green awakening.
"Greenwashing" involves companies either misleading consumers about the green credentials of a product or service, or misleading consumers about the environmental performance of the company as a whole. Historically, big business has been able to get away with greenwashing because there has been limited understanding of what ‘green’ means, and a plethora of different definitions and certifications with little standardisation." Dr Aoife Brophy Haney
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The good news is there are actually a small number of labels you need to recognise as 'organic', and the rest just take with a pinch of salt, if you have any doubts about a company's certification you can hover over the logo and us their handy Organic Certified Checker.
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Our mission at Organic Yard is simply to demystify the 'organic' market, make it easy for you to navigate the waters, and connect you with authentic organic suppliers, that you can trust.
Labels you can trust
UK ORGANIC FOOD & DRINK
ORGANIC FARMERS & GROWERS
GB-ORG-02
Certifying over 50% of the UK's organic land area. OF&G also certifies processing and importing operations, along with a number of overseas production and processing facilities.
THE ORGANIC FOOD FEDERATION
GB-ORG-04
The Organic Food Federation was established in 1986 and is recognised by DEFRA (Department Environment Food & Rural Affairs) as an organic certification body and also carries out audits for the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) National Organic Program in the UK.
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BIODYNAMIC UK ASSOCIATION
GB-ORG-06
BDA Certification now certify over 300 licensees, we are incredibly proud to support a wide range of pioneering, innovative enterprises who are setting the standard for sustainable and regenerative food production.
QUALITY WELSH FOOD CERTIFICATION
GB-ORG-13
Established in 2003, it is the largest scheme for organic farmers in Wales. They provide a comprehensive service to organic farmers in Wales maintaining a rigorous inspection and certification process.
ORGANIC FARMERS & GROWERS SCOTLAND
GB-ORG-17
SOPA is a member led co-operative that aims to promote and develop the profile the Scottish organic food sector while protecting and upholding the organic integrity of all products produced by their members and certified by OF&G (Scotland) to the SOPA organic standards.
ORGANIC TRUST
GB-ORG-09
Organic Trust certifies all farming and growing enterprises and a range of food business including Organic processors, manufacturing, importing, trading, distribution, retail, wholesalers, grain processors, Abbatoir/butchers, health and beauty products mushroom production.
IRISH ORGANIC ASSOCIATION
GB-ORG-07
Ireland’s leading organic certification body dedicated to certifying organic produce and products throughout Ireland. Forty years of experience in inspecting, certifying and networking has placed the association in a unique position to serve a dynamic and growing organic market.
ORGANIC EUROPEAN FOOD & DRINK
The EU organic logo indicates that this product is in full conformity with the regulations for the organic farming established by the European Union. For processed products it means that at least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic. Next to the new EU organic logo, a code number of the control body is displayed as well as the place where the agricultural raw materials composing the product have been farmed.
France's national logo for organic products since 1985. Organic products carrying the logo must contain more than 95 percent organic ingredients. Agriculture Biologique (AB – France), certifies agricultural and livestock products, processed products for human consumption, animal feed. AB encourages the export of organic products to France.
KRAV is the main certification organisation for organic production in Sweden. The products marked with its logo are well known in the Swedish market. The KRAV label stands for food produced without artificial chemical pesticides, good animal welfare, reduced climate impact, more biodiversity and better working conditions. Eat better. Eat more sustainably - for the planet and for people.
ORGANIC HOSPITALITY
Restaurants and cafes with an Organic Served Here award are committed to sourcing quality sustainable, organic ingredients for their menus. The higher the proportion of spend on organic vs. non-organic ingredients, the higher the number of Organic Served Here stars they hold.
INTERNATION ORGANIC FOOD & DRINK
ORGANIC CLOTHING & TEXTILES
GOTS
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. GOTS certified final products may include fibre products, yarns, fabrics, clothes, home textiles, mattresses, personal hygiene products, as well as food contact textiles and more.
OEKO-TEX®
OEKO-TEX ia the testing and certification process on which our standards are based guarantees maximum consumer safety.
STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is an additional test method per ISO/IWA 32 now accepted for detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in untreated organic cotton. If you see this label it means the company has gone that extra step to guarantee your fabric safety.
ORGANIC BEAUTY & COSMETICS
NON-ORGANIC ETHICAL CERTIFICATIONS TO TAKE NOTICE OF
Environmental, Social, Governance are the three lenses used to evaluate how organisations are making a positive difference, from tackling climate crisis to promoting a fair society for all. The ESGmark® community is for people and organisations who care about the planet and society. We promote and reward responsible business.
Environmental, Social, Governance are the three lenses used to evaluate how organisations are making a positive difference, from tackling climate crisis to promoting a fair society for all. The ESGmark® community is for people and organisations who care about the planet and society. We promote and reward responsible business.
Guarantees the animal has been fed 100% on pasture for the whole of its life. Only meat and dairy displaying the Pasture Mark comes with a guarantee the animals have been fed a completely natural diet. Membership of the Pasture for Life Association means beef is completely traceable. Using QR codes, you can see all the information you need, from age to how many days it has been hung.
The FSC is a global, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of responsible forest management worldwide. FSC defines standards based on agreed principles for responsible forest stewardship that are supported by environmental, social, and economic stakeholders. The Soil Association certify to FSC® standards for Forest Management and Chain of Custody certification
​​The PEFC ‘green trees’ logo is your assurance that wood-based products – from timber to furniture, packaging to paper – come from sustainable sources. PEFC works throughout the entire forest supply chain to promote good practice in the forest and to ensure that timber and non-timber forest products are produced with respect for ecological, social and ethical standards.
