More Certifications

AGA Grassfed Standards for ruminant, pastured swine, and dairy was developed by a team of animal scientists, veterinarians, ranchers, and range management specialists. They concentrate on four main areas of production:

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100% GRASS DIET

Animals are fed only grass and forage from weaning until harvest.

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RAISED ON PASTURE

Animals are raised on pasture without confinement.

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NO ANTIBIOTICS OR HORMONES

Animals are never treated with antibiotics or added growth hormones.

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FAMILY FARM ORIGIN

All animals are born and raised on American family farms.

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the world's leading textile processing standard for organic fibers.

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ORGANIC FIBERS

A textile product carrying the GOTS label must contain a minimum of 70% certified organic fibers, and any product with the label grade grade 'organic' must contain a minimum of 95% certified organic fibers.

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ECOLOGICAL & SOCIAL CRITERIA

To build a truly sustainable textile industry, GOTS evaluates the processing and manufacturing of textiles based on both, environmental and social criteria.

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ALL PROCESSING STAGES

The standard covers the processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, trading, and distribution of all textiles made from at least 70% certified organic fibers.

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THIRD-PARTY CERTIFICATION

An on-site inspection and certification of processors, manufacturers, and traders is performed by an independent third-party GOTS-accredited certification body and forms the basis of the GOTS monitoring system.

The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) aims to improve the welfare of sheep and the land they graze on.

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The standard requires all sites, from wool farmers to the seller in the final business-to-business transaction, to be certified. RWS farmers and ranchers must meet animal welfare, land management, and social requirements.

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Glyphosate Residue Free certification verifies (through third-party accredited laboratory tests) that products do not contain glyphosate residues.

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To be certified Glyphosate Residue Free, a product must have no glyphosate residues down to government-recognized limits of detection (LODs) for food, commodity, and supplement samples (usually 0.01 ppm), and lower levels than default government Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) in the European Union and Japan.

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The Glyphosate Residue Free program certification was established to:

• Reduce Consumers’ risk of exposure to glyphosate residues in foods they consume;
• Educate Producers about the glyphosate residue profile of their products;
• Enable Producers to fine-tune production and supply chain strategies to minimize reliance on glyphosate-based herbicides
• Encourage farmers to reduce their reliance on glyphosate-based herbicides

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BioChecked™ provides third-party certification for Non-Glyphosate Certified™ by reviewing and holding the producer’s laboratory test results of glyphosate testing in-house securely and confidentially for one year and as renewed.

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Testing is required annually for each product, with the potential of a requested spot check. Each product must meet and maintain our threshold for glyphosate and be tested regularly by an accredited Laboratory.

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Test results must show that the product contains no detected glyphosate residue down to the lowest possible limits of detection (LOD) – usually 0.01 parts per million (ppm) unless otherwise noted.

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When you see a Gluten-Free Certification Organization mark on certified gluten-free products, it means the manufacturer successfully completed a rigorous, 80-step, science-based process. This includes:

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1. Individual ingredient testing that’s at or below 10ppm of gluten, a stricter threshold than the FDA regulation.
2. Manufacturer team training on gluten-free manufacturing best practices.
3. Yearly on-site facility audits by GFCO auditors.
4. Documented compliance with certification criteria.
5. Ongoing testing and test results must be submitted to GFCO on a regular basis.
6. Providing GFCO with updated ingredient lists when substitutions are made (at which point certification status is re-evaluated).

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The Certified Vegan Logo is a registered trademark for products that do not contain animal products or byproducts and that have not been tested on animals. The certified logo is easily visible to consumers interested in vegan products and helps vegans shop without constantly consulting ingredient lists. The Certified Vegan Logo is currently on thousands of products manufactured by over 1000 companies.

Fair for Life promotes an approach of Fair Trade that allows all producers and workers who are at a socio-economic disadvantage to access a wider range of social and economic benefits. These principles apply throughout the whole supply chain covering producers, traders, manufacturers, and brand holders.

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Fair For Life advantages

• The possibility to recognize other schemes that can be complementary, enabling synergies and a wider sourcing
• An independent third-party certification
• An internationally recognized programme, based on key baseline reference standards (International definitions of Fair Trade, ISO 26000, ILO conventions, social criteria of IFOAM, etc.)
• An approach of continuous improvement, and the possibility to assess overall performance concerning fair trade
• The ability to source Fair Trade ingredients from any country (South & North)

When you see our Fair Trade Certified label on a product, you can trust that it was made according to rigorous standards that protect the livelihoods of farmers, fishers, and other producer communities and the environment.

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• Guaranteed minimum price that acts as a safety net for coffee farmers and producers when the market prices are low.
• Rigorous Fair Trade Certified standards ensure safe and healthy working conditions, the elimination of forced/child labor, fair and consistent compensation, and environmental protections and product traceability.
• Producer communities receive additional compensation through Community Development Funds.

Non-GMO means a product was produced without genetic engineering and its ingredients are not derived from GMOs. Non-GMO Project Verified additionally means that a product is compliant with the Non-GMO Project Standard, which includes stringent provisions for testing, traceability, and segregation. Only Non-GMO Project Verified products are allowed to use the verification mark. Importantly, the mark includes the Project’s URL, where consumers can look up the Standard to better understand what it means.

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A verified non-GMO system supports organic and regenerative agriculture by reducing contamination pressure and protecting the supply of non-GMO seed.

The Certified Humane Raised and Handled® logo assures consumers that:

• The producer meets our Animal Care Standards and applies them to farm animals, from birth through slaughter.
• Animals are never kept in cages, crates, or tie stalls. Animals must be free to do what comes naturally. For example, chickens must be able to flap their wings and dust bathe, and pigs must have space to move around and root.
• Animals must be fed a diet of quality feed, without antibiotics or growth hormones.
• Compliance with the North American Meat Institute Standards (NAMI), a slaughter standard written by Dr. Temple Grandin, a member of HFAC’s Scientific Committee.

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The USDA organic regulations describe organic agriculture as the application of a set of cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that support the cycling of on-farm resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. These include maintaining or enhancing soil and water quality; conserving wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife; and avoiding the use of synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering.

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Organic producers use natural processes and materials when developing farming systems—these contribute to soil, crop, and livestock nutrition, pest and weed management, attainment of production goals, and conservation of biological diversity.

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