What is the difference between voluntary and legal organic labeling requirements?
Legal labeling requirements apply in the country where products are being sold. For example, if a shirt is made in India and sold in the U.S., the label must comply with the laws of the U.S., set by the NOP, governing the use of the term organic. The product label must also comply with the marketing laws of the U.S., set by the Federal Trade Commission. Voluntary standards, however, are those set by private or non-governmental organizations. Examples include the OE 100, OE Blended and GOTS. There is no legal requirement to follow these standards, but they offer many advantages such as a clear protocol for supply chains to follow, assured product integrity, increased validity to marketing claims, and third party verfication. Q: What is the minimum certification necessary to legally label my products organic? A: The minimum certification for organic labeling is the farm certification, but be certain that it is valid for the country where the products are to be sold. However, note that yo
