Regenerative Organic Certified™

A new, holistic standard is raising the bar for how food is produced.

Led by the Regenerative Organic Alliance, which includes organizations and brands like Rodale Institute, Dr. Bronner’s, and Patagonia, Regenerative Organic Certified™ (ROC) helps consumers make informed choices about their food purchases.

Visit the ROC website

Why?

Though the USDA Certified Organic seal continues to be a rigorous standard, it has some gaps when it comes to soil health and animal welfare requirements. Most importantly, it omits the treatment of farmers and farm workers. Many brands, farmers, ranchers, and nonprofits felt that a more holistic standard could go above and beyond the organic label.

How it Works

ROC uses the USDA Certified Organic standard as a baseline. From there, it adds important criteria and benchmarks that incorporate the three major pillars of regenerative organic agriculture into one certification.

The Three ROC Pillars

Soil Health

Use of regenerative practices like cover crops, crop rotation, and conservation tillage. Builds organic matter and promotes biodiversity with no synthetic inputs. Excludes soil-less systems.

Animal Welfare

Protects the “Five Freedoms,” grass-fed & pasture-raised, no CAFOs or extensive transport, suitable shelter.

Social Fairness

Ensures fair payments and living wages for farmers and farmworkers, safe working conditions, capacity building and freedom of association.