Organic Food Label Guide

Ever stand in the grocery aisle squinting at food labels like they’re secret codes? We’re here to decode the badges, bust the buzzwords, and help you understand what those labels really mean. We’re starting with five commonly found labels to help you shop with confidence.

Quick Look

The Organic Guarantee

USDA Organic

The first label to look for if you want:

  • No synthetic fertilizers
  • No industrial pesticides
  • No hormones or antibiotics
  • No Genetically Modified Organisms
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The Gold Standard

Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC)

Everything from USDA Organic, plus:

  • Highest standard of soil health
  • Highest standard of animal welfare
  • Highest standard of farmer rights
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A Step Above

Real Organic Project

Everything from USDA Organic, plus:

  • Prohibited use of hydroponics
  • No inhumane Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
  • A high standard of soil health
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A Win for the Land

Land to Market Verified

Awards farms and ranches using regenerative farming practices to:

  • Improve soil, water and biodiversity
  • Enhance animal welfare

Does not indicate organic on its own

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Care for Ingredients

Non-GMO Verified

Helps you choose products free from:

  • Genetically modified organisms
  • Ingredients altered by genetic engineering

Does not indicate organic on its own

Learn More

Watch Out for Wordplay

Some companies piggyback on the hard work of organic farmers by labeling non-organic products with vague "greenwashing" terms that mean, well, nothing.

  • Regenerative
  • Earth-friendly
  • Natural
  • Sustainable

Details

Land to Market Verified

Land to Market Verified is a label spearheaded by the Savory Institute, a nonprofit focused on regenerating the world’s grasslands. The label tells you that a product—often meat, dairy, footwear (leather), or apparel—originated on a farm that is using regenerative methods to improve the land. These methods could include planned grazing, cover cropping, reduced tilling, crop-livestock integration, and reduced chemical usage.

While Land to Market Verified shares goals with regenerative organic agriculture—namely, healing the soil—it’s focused on outcomes not practices. As such, it allows the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, which are prohibited with organic production. If a product is both Land to Market Verified and USDA Certified Organic, it will include both labels.

Non-GMO Project Verified

Non-GMO Project Verified is a label with a singular focus: identifying foods that are free from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). It's especially useful for processed foods like cereals, pasta, snacks, soups, sauces and baked goods, which can hide GMOs in their ingredients. It's also useful for corn-based products (cornmeal, corn syrup, corn oil), soy-based products (tofu, soy protein), canola oil, and even sugar, which is sometimes derived from genetically modified sugar beets.

However, Non-GMO Project Verified allows the use of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides, so not all non-GMO products are organic. On the other hand, all USDA Certified Organic products are also non-GMO.

Learn more about GMOs and why they’re harmful.

Real Organic Project

The Real Organic Project label is an add-on to the USDA Certified Organic label, signifying that a food or product was produced on a farm upholding traditional organic principles like soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare. It goes beyond the baseline USDA organic requirements by prohibiting hydroponics and large-scale animal confinement. Products with the Real Organic Project label are always organic, grown in soil and pasture-raised.

Top Choice

Regenerative Organic Certified®

Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™) is the highest global benchmark for regenerative agriculture—integrating soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness into one rigorous, third-party verified certification. The ROC™ label spans the food, fiber, and wellness industries and is overseen by the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Rodale Institute, Patagonia, and Dr. Bronner’s in 2017.

ROC™ has three levels of certification: bronze, silver, and gold. All certified brands and products start at the bronze level and work their way up, emphasizing continuous improvement. All ROC products must start with USDA Organic Certification as a baseline.

Top
Choice

USDA Organic

You’ve probably seen this label before—the little green seal that’s been around for the past few decades. Products with this label are regulated by the National Organic Program, contain no GMOs, and have been regularly inspected to ensure that the farms don’t use prohibited chemicals or synthetic fertilizers. Many organic farms use regenerative practices like cover cropping, crop rotation, and composting.