Live a sustainable life
Bio. An organic choice? A look at the labyrinth of labels
More and more people are opting to buy products labelled as organic. But why are there so many of these labels? What are the differences between them?
Healthy living starts with a healthy diet. It’s rather gratifying to see that more and more retailers are offering products that sound like they’re “organic“ or “natural” (more information here), or at least look the part. On closer inspection, however, the issue of what constitutes organic food and drink quickly becomes more complicated. Here’s our attempt at an overview.
What types of label are out there?
While some labels cover a whole range of products (such as the Bio Suisse “Bud” or Demeter), others only apply to specific product categories (such as Delinat for wine, Fidelio for meat or Soyana for plant-based products). Other labels (RegioFair, Gran Alpin, etc.) are only used at a regional level.
Who issues organic labels?
On the one hand, countries can award organic labels: France, Germany and Denmark, for example, each have their own. The EU also awards organic labels as a supranational organisation. Switzerland does not have a state organic label: Here, labels will be awarded by private individuals, i.e. by an association or association (such as IP-Suisse or Bio Suisse), a working group or by companies’ own brands (e.g. Naturaplan from Coop). These own brands can therefore appear on packaging together with an organic label in co-branding, e.g. with the bud of Bio Suisse.
Do different labels mean different things?
That’s actually the sticking point: The labels available in Switzerland comply with different guidelines, which also vary in stringency. To complicate matters further, Lidl, Migros & co. have several different versions of their home-brand labels, each of which corresponds to a different set of certification standards. Below is our summary of these standards and the labels associated with them.
EU regulations on organic products
Whether at Migros, Coop, Aldi or Lidl, the green seal with white stars is also increasingly being found on products in Swiss stores. Here’s what it means:
No use of synthetic chemical pesticides
Limited use of mineral fertilisers
The product may contain no more than 0.9% genetically modified ingredients.
At least 95% of the ingredients of a product must come from organic farming, i.e. max. 5% may have been conventionally produced
Animal feed contains no antibiotics or animal meal
No growth-promoting substances used in animal husbandry
Food irradiation is prohibited
However, the EU organic label has few to no requirements in areas such as irrigation, biodiversity, climate protection or social issues. There are likewise no guidelines related to packaging, fair trade or sustainability during processing. As such, the EU label scores lower than other standards used for organic products.
The following distributors’ labels comply with the EU regulations on organic food:
Products according to integrated production (IP Suisse)
The well-known red ladybird logo. It was created by IP Suisse, and identifies domestic Swiss products made using “Integrated Production”. These do not yet meet organic standards: Mineral fertilisers and certain herbicides are permitted, and feed grain may be produced intensively. Even so, the regulations concerning IP are already stricter than those used in conventional agriculture:
The use of chemical synthetic fertilisers is limited or banned
Growth regulators, chemical fungicides and insecticides are not allowed
No genetically modified crops or cattle may be grown or raised
Measures must be taken to preserve biodiversity and protect resources
Products may only be produced and processed in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
The following distributors’ labels comply with the EU regulations on organic food:
Bio Suisse guidelines on organic products
The well-known white bud on a green background: This logo was created by Bio Suisse, the umbrella organisation for organic farmers in Switzerland. The requirements for displaying the Bio Suisse Bud are more stringent than those stipulated by Swiss law, and are generally considered to be among the most exacting in the world. These include the following:
The entire farm must be run organically
All ingredients in a product bearing the bud logo must meet Bio Suisse standards (with a few exceptions, such as if an ingredient is not of bud quality but is “only” available in organic form)
No genetic engineering whatsoever
No artificial flavours, colours or vitamins
Minimal processing (i.e. no repeated pasteurisation in milk production)
Crop rotation, as well as the use of pesticides and fertilisers, is permitted under strict conditions
Animals must have ample space and time outside in summer and winter, while feeding must be site- and species-appropriate (grassland-based)
Social provisions regarding working conditions, guidelines on fair trade relations
Provisions on packaging materials
Inclusion of a sustainability and climate strategy: Air transport is prohibited, greenhouses may only be heated to a limited extent. Only crops that either don’t grow in Switzerland or do so in insufficient quantities may be imported
No land-clearing of primeval forest to grow non-native ingredients
Weeds may not be sprayed, not even with biological agents (removal by hand only)
Targeted promoting of biodiversity through ecological compensation areas and other measures
Strict, product-specific guidelines on processing methods and additives
Provisions on packaging material
There are two labels from the Bio Suisse Association: The Bio Bud for products containing more than 10% of imported raw materials, and the Bio Suisse Bud with the Swiss Cross for products containing at least 90% of ingredients from Switzerland.
The following distributors’ labels comply with Bio Suisse regulations:
What about labels like Claro and Max Havelaar?
Max Havelaar is above all a fair trade label: The focus here is on fair trade of products in accordance with the guidelines of Fairtrade International. These include, inter alia: the payment of minimum prices and a fair trade premium. Different provisions apply to production, and the requirements regarding environmental protection are less stringent than for other labels.
Claro is another label which promotes the fair trade of goods in line with Fairtrade International guidelines. These products are sourced from around 200 specifically supported smallholder farming cooperatives in the global South, and around 75% of them also comply with the EU regulations on organic farming.
Demeter: What is the difference between organic and biodynamic?
Products bearing the Demeter label comply not only with Bio Suisse regulations, but also with the conditions of biodynamic farming.
Planting and harvesting is carried out according to the biodynamic calendar, which includes the phases of the moon. Composts called biodynamic preparations, which are made from all natural substances, are used to ensure the growth and quality of crops.
Producers must practise animal husbandry; they provide manure for agriculture and receive feed produced by the farm
Cows are not de-horned
The use of additives is reduced to a bare minimum
Chemical processing, irradiation or microwave treatment is an absolute no-no when it comes to processing
Processing is kept to a minimum, with even fewer steps allowed (for example, Demeter milk may not be homogenised or subjected to ultra-heat treatment)
As is the case with Bio Suisse, the Demeter restriction on air transport may be lifted in exceptional circumstances
We hope our article manages to answer at least a few of your questions. What do you think about the hodgepodge of labels in Switzerland? We look forward to your feedback.