What does Regenerative Organic Certified® mean?
Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) represents one of the most rigorous standards in agriculture today. In this guide, we explain what it means, how it differs from organic farming, and why it matters for soil, climate, and food quality.
What is Regenerative Organic Certified®?
Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) is widely considered one of the most advanced standards in sustainable agriculture today. It pushes the boundaries of traditional organic certification even further.
Organic farming primarily focuses on what must not be present in agriculture — such as synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs. While this is an important standard, it often does not fully address broader issues such as soil health, animal welfare, and fair working conditions for farmers and workers.
ROC builds on organic certification as its foundation and expands it through three key pillars that together form a truly regenerative agricultural system.
🌱 Soil Health
Regenerative farming restores life to the soil. Practices such as reduced tillage, crop rotation, and cover crops help rebuild soil structure and increase organic matter while supporting carbon sequestration.
🐄 Animal Welfare
Animals are raised in conditions that respect their natural needs. They have access to outdoor environments, freedom of movement, and farming systems that support natural behaviour.
🤝 Social Fairness
ROC also includes ethical labour standards — fair wages, safe working environments, and protection from forced or exploitative labour.
Organic vs Regenerative Organic Certified®
| Characteristic | Organic | Regenerative Organic Certified® |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Eliminating synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and GMOs. | Actively restoring soil health, biodiversity, and ethical farming systems. |
| Soil health | Basic requirements for crop rotation. | Cover crops, reduced tillage, and rebuilding organic soil matter. |
| Animal welfare | Access to outdoor areas. | Strict welfare standards, pasture-based systems, and natural living conditions. |
| Social fairness | Often not included in certification standards. | Fair wages, safe working conditions, and ethical labour practices. |
| Climate impact | Lower emissions due to the absence of synthetic fertilizers. | Active carbon sequestration through regenerative soil practices. |
Why it matters
According to research, more than 61% of soils in Europe are considered unhealthy. Degraded soil loses its ability to retain water and nutrients, leading to erosion, drought, and a gradual decline in food quality.
Regenerative agriculture offers a pathway to restoring landscapes by rebuilding organic matter, improving water retention, and creating resilient ecosystems.
A white paper by the Rodale Institute suggests that a global transition to regenerative organic agriculture could potentially sequester more than 100% of current annual CO₂ emissions produced by humanity. Healthy soil may therefore be one of the most powerful tools in addressing the climate crisis.
“By choosing PureOrigin® products, you are not simply buying organic food. You are supporting a farming system that restores soil health, ecosystems, and farming communities.”
Sources
[1] EU Joint Research Centre – Soil Health in Europe
[2] MOYER, J., SMITH, A., RUI, Y., HAYDEN, J. Regenerative Agriculture and the Soil Carbon Solution. Rodale Institute, 2020.