Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about getting certified — which standard you need, how the process runs, and what it involves.
Who certifies organic products in South Africa?
CERES South Africa is an inspection and certification body for organic and sustainable agriculture, based in Stellenbosch and operating with locally based inspectors. It is part of CERES GmbH, an international certification body headquartered in Germany, and certifies South African farms, processors and traders against ten international standards.
Which organic standard do I need to export to Europe, the United States or Japan?
It depends on your destination market. For the European Union you need EU Organic certification under Regulation (EU) 2018/848. For the United States you need USDA NOP certification. For Japan you need JAS certification. Private labels such as Bio Suisse, Demeter and Naturland open specific premium markets on top of the regulatory standard.
Can one inspection cover more than one standard?
Yes. A single inspection can be used to certify against several standards at once, which reduces both cost and disruption compared with arranging separate audits. Tell us every market you sell into when you apply, and we will scope the inspection to cover them together.
Do I have to register or pay to get CERES application forms and guides?
No. Every application form, standard briefing and policy document we publish is freely downloadable from our Document center — no login, no account and no fee. Our certification criteria and policies are published openly so you know what will be assessed before an inspector arrives.
How does the certification process work?
There are three steps. First, download and submit the application form for your standard. Second, an independent local inspector visits your operation and assesses it against that standard. Third, once the evaluation is positive, your certificate is issued and becomes publicly verifiable. The full process is set out in our Steps to organic certification guide.
How can a buyer check that a CERES certificate is genuine?
Certificates can be verified by anyone, free of charge, through the EASY-CERT public certificate search. You can reach it from our Online tools page — no account is needed to look up an operator or confirm a product's certification status.
What does certification cost and how long does it take?
Fees and timelines depend on the size and complexity of your operation, how many standards you need and whether you are certifying as an individual operator or a producer group. Tell us what you produce and where you want to sell and we will come back to you with the scope and next steps.