What does the Regenerative Organic Certified® label stand for?

Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) is a relatively new certification for food, textile fibres and cosmetic products. ROC takes internationally recognised organic standards as its starting point and supplements them with important additional elements such as soil health, animal welfare and fair terms for farmers. From 2024, we will start to offer some of our cocoa mass, butter and powder with the Regenerative Organic Certified label.

Regenerative Organic Certified was brought into existence in 2017 by a group of farmers, business leaders and experts called the Regenerative Organic Alliance. Their declared aim was to create a holistic label that would promote soil health, ensure fair treatment for farmworkers, empower farmers and improve animal welfare. That is reflected in its three main pillars: soil health, social fairness and animal welfare.

What agricultural practices are covered by Regenerative Organic Certified?

ROC encourages farming practices that restore and maintain soil health, with the aim of bringing the whole ecosystem into balance for a more secure future. As its starting point ROC takes the American organic standard USDA Certified Organic (NOP). The farming practices that are specific to ROC include the following:

• Mulching the soil or growing cover crops
• Crop rotation (different crops grown in succession)
• Use of compost
• Little or no tillage
• No synthetic fertilisers or pesticides
• Rotational grazing (for example by herds of cattle)
  
  

What are the benefits of Regenerative Organic Certifiedfor the environment?

Healthy soil gives protection from drought and pests and at the same time nourishes the microbial life that improves the supply of nutrients to the plant. It also locks in carbon, boosts yields and saves water. Some of the following benefits do not apply only to ROC but also to existing organic labels, especially those with strict conditions:

• Protection from erosion, more organic matter in the soil
• Better water retention in the soil
• Greater biodiversity on farmland
• Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions due to carbon being locked in the soil and synthetic fertilisers and pesticides being avoided
• Minimal destruction of soil structure and microorganisms (no deep ploughing)
• Reduced water consumption, better water quality
• Reduction in toxic residues in soils, waterways etc.
• Protection of natural ecosystems
• Last but not least: healthier food for consumers
  
  

"Farm like the world depends on it"

Regenerative Organic Certified is a holistic label. The second pillar - animal welfare - includes regulations on animal care, access to outdoor space and grazing, no CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) and limited transport of animals. The third pillar - social fairness - encompasses fair payment and living wages for farmers and farmworkers, healthy working conditions, long-term commitments and democratic organisations. 

Cocoa with the Regenerative Organic Certified label from PRONATEC

From 2024, our cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder made from beans from the Dominican Republic will be available with ROC certification.