Ecocert

What Ecocert does

Ecocert is an independent, family-owned certification group founded in 1991 in L'Isle-Jourdain, France, providing third-party verification of organic, environmental, and social responsibility claims across 130+ countries. Its core service line is certification: across agriculture (USDA NOP, EU organic, GLOBALG.A.P.), cosmetics (COSMOS, Rainforest Alliance), textiles (GOTS), forestry (FSC, PEFC), homecare, sustainable materials, agricultural inputs, and food safety (IFS, BRCGS), along with emerging offerings in regenerative agriculture and biodiversity/climate. Accreditation is the company's central economic asset: Ecocert holds three COFRAC accreditations (Nos. 5-0035, 5-0520, 5-0657) plus COFRAC 4-0011 for ECOCERT Environment, and IOAS registration (No. 133) for COSMOS, with the company co-owning the COSMOS standard alongside Cosmébio, Bureau Veritas, and Cosmécert.

The company operates three interconnected service lines — Certification (primary revenue), Training, and Consulting — with consulting delivered through dedicated subsidiaries Des Enjeux et des Hommes and Transitions, structurally separate from certification activities since 2020 to preserve audit independence. Pricing is quote-based with multi-year contract cadences; no public rate card is disclosed, and the go-to-market combines enterprise field sales with inside sales supported by a website-based quote-request workflow available in 25+ languages. Underlying technology is functional rather than differentiated: a public certificate verification database (certificat.ecocert.com), a ClaimCheck environmental claims validation platform, an ethics whistleblowing portal, and a third-party evaluation grid running across 24 countries since 2009. The technology stack supports operations rather than serving as a primary competitive lever.

Ecocert's commercial footprint spans 22+ country offices and customer segments spanning agricultural producers, mid-market food and cosmetics manufacturers, multinational FMCG groups, retailers, governments and multilateral institutions (FAO, ASEAN), and NGOs. Named enterprise engagements include international agri-food, cosmetics, and textile groups running multi-year sourcing and CSR programs. The US footprint is material: post the 2011 ICO merger and 2019 NICS acquisition, Ecocert USA operates from Indianapolis and Viroqua as the country's 4th largest certifier. Leadership comprises President Jérémie Vidal and Director of Publication Philippe Thomazo (Administrateur Délégué). The company is privately held with no VC or PE ownership disclosed and €450,864 share capital in the French SAS entity.

Name

Ecocert

Legal name

Ecocert

Website

https://ecocert.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Ecocert is an independent, family-owned French certification group founded in 1991 that provides third-party verification of organic, fair trade, and sustainability claims across agriculture, cosmetics, textiles, forestry, and homecare in 130+ countries. Revenue is generated through quoted, multi-year certification audits, training programs, and consulting engagements delivered via a global network of country offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Certification Services

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Certification Services (AFALAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & Environmental Certifications (Carbon, Water, Regenerative) (AFALAMAC), Food Safety & Quality Scheme Certifications (GFSI Programs) (AFALAMAI), Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing Certification Services (AFALAMAD), Sustainability/Ethical Sourcing Claim Verification (RSPO, Rainforest, Fairtrade) (AFALAGAJ)

Keywords

• Organic certification services
• Sustainability consulting
• Ecolabel certification
• Organic agriculture standards
• Cosmetics certification

Headquarters

HQ city

L'isle-jourdain

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Certification Services: Ecocert's primary revenue stream is certification fees charged to companies and farms seeking organic, environmental, and social responsibility certifications. Fees are structured around initial certification audits and ongoing annual surveillance audits across multiple sectors including agriculture, cosmetics, textiles, forestry, and homecare.
2. Training Services: Training programs covering organic farming, cosmetics, and responsible sourcing, generating revenue from professional development and skills enhancement courses for clients and industry practitioners.
3. Consulting Services: Tailor-made consulting services provided by dedicated subsidiaries (Des Enjeux et des Hommes and Transitions), independent of certification activities, covering CSR strategy, sustainable sourcing, ESG, and project management for private and public stakeholders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ecocert is a France-headquartered certification body that audits, certifies, and labels organic and sustainable products across food and agriculture, cosmetics, textiles, forestry, homecare, and sustainable materials. It complements certification with paid training programs and sustainability/CSR consulting for businesses, supported by proprietary standards and COFRAC-accredited processes.

Product overview

Ecocert is a family-owned international certification group with over 30 years of experience, providing three interconnected service lines: Certification (third-party verification of organic, fair trade, and sustainability claims), Training (programs in organic farming, cosmetics, and responsible sourcing), and Consulting (tailor-made advisory services). The certification portfolio encompasses industry-specific offerings including COSMOS for natural and organic cosmetics, GOTS for organic textiles, USDA NOP for US organic agriculture, Rainforest Alliance, Fair for Life for fair trade, Regenerative Agriculture, IFS/BRCGS/GLOBALG.A.P. for food safety, CSR, biodiversity/climate change, homecare products, forestry (FSC), sustainable materials, and agricultural inputs. Consulting operations are conducted through subsidiaries Des Enjeux et des Hommes and Transitions, while US operations include Nature's International Certification Services (NICS). The company operates across more than 130 countries through an international office network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic and Sustainable Certification Services
• COSMOS Natural and Organic Cosmetics Certification
• Fair for Life Certification
• Textile and Sustainable Materials Certification
• Inputs Certification for Agriculture

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by clients across 130+ countries worldwide
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• COSMOS Standard (Cosmébio and certification bodies)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2025Ecocert is one of four certification bodies (alongside Cosmébio, Bureau Veritas, and Cosmécert) that co-developed and now administer the COSMOS standard for natural and organic cosmetics. On September 25, 2025, these bodies unveiled version 4.2 of the standard, excluding water and minerals from organic content calculation.
• Des Enjeux et des HommescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA French consulting firm specializing in helping companies transition toward sustainable and resilient ecosystems. Operating as a dedicated subsidiary of the Ecocert Group, independent of certification activities, it provides expertise in ecological transition, CSR strategy, and organizational transformation.
• TransitionscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA consulting firm focused on ecological and social transition, dedicated to sustainable value chains and sectors. Operating as a dedicated subsidiary of the Ecocert Group, independent of certification activities, it supports companies in building sustainable supply chains and sector transformation.
• Nature's International Certification Services (NICS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired by Ecocert in 2019 to expand its US presence, establishing a second US office in Viroqua, Wisconsin. Together with Indiana Certified Organic (ICO), the combined entity became Ecocert USA, now the 4th largest certifier in the United States.
• Indiana Certified Organic (ICO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcocert merged with Indiana Certified Organic (ICO) in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2011, creating Ecocert ICO as the company's first entry into the US market.
• COFRAC (Comité Français d'Accréditation)coreOthersFrench accreditation body that provides official accreditation for Ecocert's certification activities. Ecocert holds multiple COFRAC accreditations: N° 5-0035 (ECOCERT France SAS), N° 5-0520 (ECOCERT Greenlife SAS), and N° 5-0657 (ECOCERT SAS) for product and service certification.
• IOAS (International Organic Accreditation System)coreOthersInternational accreditation body that provides ECOCERT Greenlife with accreditation for product certification under the COSMOS standard. ECOCERT Greenlife registration number: 133. Accreditation details available at ioas.org.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TÜV SÜD: German-headquartered TIC incumbent with broad sustainability, food, and product certification offerings. Comparable to Ecocert in scope across regulated markets, particularly in Europe and Asia.
• SGS: World's largest TIC company, publicly-traded on the Swiss exchange. SGS offers overlapping certification, inspection, and testing services across agriculture, food, cosmetics, textiles, and forestry — competing with Ecocert globally.
• Intertek: London-listed global TIC major with comparable service breadth across food safety, organic, cosmetics, and textile certification. Competes with Ecocert for enterprise certification contracts in multiple verticals.
• Bureau Veritas: Global publicly-traded testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) giant. Bureau Veritas is one of the four co-administrators of the COSMOS standard with Ecocert and competes directly across food, cosmetics, textiles, and sustainability certification.

Direct peers

• NSF International: US-based standards and certification organization with strong presence in food safety, organic, and sustainability. Directly competes with Ecocert in the US market and across global food/agriculture certification.
• Kiwa: European-based TIC company (formerly Kiwa Gastec) with growing sustainability and food certification offerings. Comparable to Ecocert in Europe across organic, food safety, and CSR certification.
• Control Union: Dutch-headquartered global certification body specializing in organic, fair trade, textile (GOTS), and sustainable supply chain certifications. Closely overlaps with Ecocert's certification portfolio and target customer base.
• SCS Global Services: US-based third-party certifier providing organic, fair trade, sustainability, and food safety certification. Overlaps with Ecocert's service portfolio, particularly in North American markets.

Emerging players

• QIMA: Hong Kong-based quality control and supply chain compliance company with digital-first inspection and certification offerings. An emerging competitor in textile and consumer goods certification overlapping with Ecocert's GOTS and CSR verticals.

Regional players

• Oregon Tilth: US-based organic certifier, particularly active in the Pacific Northwest. While smaller and regionally focused, it directly competes with Ecocert USA in the USDA NOP organic certification market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecocert