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Key facts
- Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) is administered by the nonprofit Regenerative Organic Alliance and requires USDA Organic (or equivalent) certification as a baseline prerequisite — it doesn't replace it, it builds on it.1
- ROC is structured around three pillars: soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness for farmers and workers.1
- USDA Organic's scope is narrower by design — it governs allowed/prohibited substances and practices, not soil-carbon outcomes or farmworker labor standards.2
"Regenerative" has become a common word in food marketing, but Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) is a specific, formal certification — not just a description a brand can choose to use. It's issued by the Regenerative Organic Alliance, a nonprofit formed by a coalition of farmers, business leaders, and experts in soil science, animal welfare, and social fairness.1
It starts where USDA Organic ends
ROC isn't a competitor to USDA Organic — it requires it. A farm has to already hold USDA Organic certification (or an internationally recognized equivalent) before it's even eligible to pursue ROC.1 That makes ROC additive: everything USDA Organic already verifies (no synthetic pesticides, no prohibited fertilizers, no GMOs) is a starting requirement, not an alternative standard.
The three pillars ROC adds
- Soil health. Practices that build soil organic matter and biodiversity over time, rather than practices that are merely "not harmful."
- Animal welfare. Standards for any livestock integrated into the farming system, following established welfare frameworks.
- Social fairness. Protections and fair treatment for farmers and farmworkers — a dimension that USDA Organic's regulatory scope does not directly address.2
Why USDA Organic doesn't cover these
This isn't a flaw in USDA Organic — it's a scope decision. The USDA's National Organic Program was designed specifically to regulate agricultural production and handling practices related to substances and methods (what can and can't be used on a crop).2 Labor standards and soil-carbon outcomes were never part of that mandate, which is exactly the gap independent certifications like ROC were created to address.
What this means practically for a shopper
If a product carries only USDA Organic, you know the farming inputs meet a defined federal standard. If it carries Regenerative Organic Certified, you know that plus a verified commitment to soil regeneration, animal welfare (where applicable), and fair treatment of the people doing the farming — audited by a third party against a published standard, not a marketing claim.
FAQ
Can a product be Regenerative Organic Certified without being USDA Organic?
No — USDA Organic (or an equivalent recognized organic certification) is a prerequisite for ROC eligibility, not an optional add-on.1
Is "regenerative agriculture" the same as "Regenerative Organic Certified"?
No. "Regenerative agriculture" is a general farming philosophy with no single legal definition, so any brand can use the word. "Regenerative Organic Certified" is a specific, audited certification mark with defined criteria — the difference matters a lot when evaluating a label.
Who audits Regenerative Organic Certified farms?
Certification is administered through the Regenerative Organic Alliance's framework, which relies on third-party certifiers and on-site audits against the published Regenerative Organic Certified standard.1
