The Role of People in Regenerative Organic Agriculture
In this webinar, Paul Alvarez, program director at Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA) is joining us to dive deeper into this holistic approach to farming that considers all players in the…
1) Prior Review & Approval of Seal Use
All use of the Regenerative Organic Certified® Marks by certified operations, brands, or finished goods
manufacturers (including the Organization) are required to undergo review and approval prior to printing
packaging or promoting, offering, or selling the certified products to consumers or the trade. The Organization
must submit labels and any other marketing material to the ROA, addressed to the email address
label@regenorganic.org, for review and approval no less than thirty (30 days) prior to printing packaging or
promoting, offering, or selling products bearing the Regenerative Organic Certified® Marks. The Organization
may not print, produce, promote, offer, or sell products, labeling, packaging, or other marketing material bearing
the Regenerative Organic Certified® Marks without explicit written approval from the ROA. Organizations should
take into consideration that certification levels may change from year to year and packaging should be ordered
and printed with this in mind. Organizations are responsible for ensuring the proper review of all organic claims by
an Accredited Certifying Agency to ensure compliance with all organic regulations.
Any use of the Regenerative Organic Certified® Marks or the ROA’s name or identity, without the express consent
of the ROA, is strictly prohibited and constitutes an infringement of the ROA’s rights. The ROA shall be entitled to
its reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred in bringing any civil action, arbitration, or mediation to enforce its
rights to its names or marks.
2) Misuse of the Seal
The following guidelines regarding use of the Regenerative Organic Certified® seal are reiterated here for your
convenience. The complete guidelines are set out in the Regenerative Organic Certified® Labeling Guidelines &
Terms of Use, which can be found on our website at https://regenorganic.org/resources/. The Organization should
review the current Labeling Guidelines before any use of the Regenerative Organic Certified® Marks.
The Regenerative Organic Certified® seal can be used in Bronze, Silver, or Gold (to indicate the certification level)
or in Black or White (and indicate the certification level in writing) on a transparent background. No other color
variations are allowed, and the Regenerative Organic Certified® seal may not be modified in any way.
The Organization agrees to use the Regenerative Organic Certified® name and seal(s) only in accordance with
Regenerative Organic Certified® Labeling Guidelines & Terms of Use. For example, the Regenerative Organic
Certified® seal may not be used in a misleading or deceptive fashion to mischaracterize one’s products. Further,
the Regenerative Organic Certified® seal may not be used as a primary brand or indicator of source or origin for
any goods, but only as a certification mark. The Regenerative Organic Certified® seal shall not be used in any
manner that is likely to reduce, diminish, jeopardize, or damage the goodwill, value, or reputation associated with
ROA or the Regenerative Organic Certified® seal or in any manner that violates the rights of any third parties.
3) Regenerative Organic Certified® Seal Distribution
Organizations must request the Regenerative Organic Certified® seal files from the ROA. Any marketing and/or
communications use of the Regenerative Organic Certified® seal must be explicitly approved by the ROA and the
Regenerative Organic Certified® seal graphic files must be directly obtained from the ROA.
4) Basic Regenerative Organic Certified® Labeling Requirements
All Organizations must have clear and distinct labeling that distinguishes between products that are: Regenerative
Organic Certified®, organic, certified transitional, and nonorganic product. The clear and distinct labeling
requirement does not apply in situations where regenerative organic product is being marketed as conventional.
The Regenerative Organic Certified® seal may not be used on products from acreage, animals, or operations in
“Certification Pending” status. As set out in Term E.1 above, the Organization must submit all labels and marketing
materials to label@regenorganic.org for review by the ROA.
5) Traceability Requirements for Regenerative Organic Certified® Product Claims
Regenerative Organic Certified® product intended for processing must maintain and demonstrate current
certification to USDA/NOP Organic (or an approved international equivalent) and further, must appear as a unique
and distinct product on a current NOP organic certificate. Regenerative Organic Certified® product includes both
single-ingredients and multi-ingredient product, in raw or processed form, that has maintained appropriate chain
of custody throughout the supply chain subject to inspection/verification.
Certified product must maintain appropriate separation from non-certified product throughout the supply chain
and must comply with USDA/NOP Organic chain of custody requirements and policies.
Certified product from a single origin must be maintained separate from other product throughout transport and
storage. Certified product must not be physically mixed with non-certified product or with certified product from
another source (i.e., organic coconut oil must be separated from Regenerative Organic Certified® coconut oil) until
it reaches its final processing facility. This ensures that product carrying a Regenerative Organic Certified® claim is
sourced from Regenerative Organic Certified® farms. Product of different certification levels (i.e., Regenerative
Organic Certified® Bronze, Silver, and Gold) should also be segregated in order to maintain claimed status.
However, if Regenerative Organic Certified® product is mixed with product of a different level, claims are only
allowed at the lower certification level (i.e., mixed Regenerative Organic Certified® Gold and Regenerative
Organic Certified® Bronze product would result in all Regenerative Organic Certified® Bronze product).