California Certified Organic Farmers

What California Certified Organic Farmers does

California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), founded in 1973 and headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, is a nonprofit, USDA-accredited organic certification agency. It serves farmers, growers, livestock operations, handlers, processors, and retailers across the United States and internationally, with a public directory of more than 4,000 certified organic producers and handlers. CCOF operates through two principal entities: CCOF Certification Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary that conducts the core certification and inspection work under the National Organic Program (NOP), and the CCOF Foundation, an affiliated nonprofit that delivers grants, education, and farmer transition support (including the Future Organic Farmer grant program, the Hardship Assistance Fund, and participation in the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program). The organization also administers California's OCal cannabis certification, the Regenerative Organic Certified standard, Certified Transitional, Certified Grass-Fed Organic Livestock, and food safety certifications (GLOBAL G.A.P. and PrimusGFS v3.2), and runs international export programs under equivalence arrangements with Canada, the EU, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and the UK.

CCOF's core technology stack is anchored by the MyCCOF online portal, a member-facing platform that handles certificate retrieval, inspection monitoring, Organic System Plan (OSP) management, payments, and a Material Search database indexing over 11,000 reviewed inputs (including CCOF-internal reviews, OMRI Products List entries, and WSDA Brand Name List materials). The portal supports Grower, Handler, Livestock, Retail, OCal Cultivator, Canada Handler, and Regenerative Organic Certified ROSP workflows, and is integrated with the USDA Organic Integrity Database. Marketing, education, and advocacy are delivered through a multi-channel mix including a website and blog, weekly email newsletters, YouTube training content, free weekly virtual "Organic Office Hours" sessions, and partnerships with policy and farm-to-school coalitions.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring annual certification and inspection fees, international export program fees (Global Market Access), food safety certification fees, and foundation grants/donations (notably from Clif Family Foundation and Farm Aid). As a nonprofit, all revenue is reinvested into mission activities including advocacy, education, and member support; specific pricing is contact-based and not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by a member-elected board of organic producers and operates without venture capital, private equity, or external institutional investment ownership.

Name

California Certified Organic Farmers

Legal name

California Certified Organic Farmers

Website

https://ccof.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CCOF is a nonprofit, USDA-accredited organic certification agency founded in 1973, serving over 4,000 farmers, growers, handlers, processors, and livestock operations across the U.S. and internationally through certification, food safety, and foundation grant programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Certification Services

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Certification Services (AFALAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Safety & Quality Scheme Certifications (GFSI Programs) (AFALAMAI), Sustainability & Environmental Certifications (Carbon, Water, Regenerative) (AFALAMAC)

Keywords

• Organic certification services
• USDA organic certification
• Food safety certification
• International export programs
• Regenerative organic certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Cruz

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Certification and Inspection Fees: CCOF Certification Services, LLC generates revenue through certification and inspection fees for farmers, growers, handlers, and livestock operations seeking USDA organic certification. As a nonprofit, all revenue is reinvested into achieving the mission of advancing organic agriculture.
2. International Programs and Export Services: Fees for Global Market Access (GMA) program supporting international exports to Canada, EU, Japan, Korea, and other markets with equivalence arrangements.
3. Food Safety Services: GLOBAL G.A.P. and PrimusGFS v3.2 food safety certification services offered as additional certification offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CCOF is a USDA-accredited organic certification agency that issues USDA Organic, OCal (California state organic), Regenerative Organic Certified, GLOBAL G.A.P., and PrimusGFS v3.2 certifications to farms, ranches, livestock operations, handlers, processors, and retailers. Certification covers Grower, Handler, Livestock, Retail, Canada Handler, OCal Cannabis Cultivator, and Regenerative Organic scopes, and is supported by the MyCCOF portal for Organic System Plan submission, inspection scheduling, certificate management, and a Material Search database with over 11,000 reviewed input materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Certification USDA-accredited organic certification under the National Organic Program for farms, ranches, processors, handlers, and retailers. Covers Grower, Handler, Livestock, and Retail scopes with annual certification, inspection, and Organic System Plan compliance.
• International Programs / Global Market Access Export certification and Global Market Access (GMA) program for organic producers and handlers shipping to Canada, the European Union, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and other markets with equivalence arrangements. Includes Transaction Certificates for export and import.
• Food Safety Services (GLOBAL G.A.P. and PrimusGFS v3.2) GLOBAL G.A.P. and PrimusGFS v3.2 food safety certification services delivered to growers and processors as a complementary certification beyond organic certification.
• Certified Transitional Program Certification program for operations transitioning from conventional to organic farming, providing market access and labeling during the three-year transition period before full USDA organic status.
• Certified Grass-Fed Organic Livestock Program Combined organic and grass-fed certification for livestock operations, differentiating products in the marketplace with a 100% grass-fed claim layered on top of USDA organic certification.
• OCal Cannabis Certification California state OCal certification for cannabis cultivators operating under CDFA organic-equivalent standards for cannabis products.
• Regenerative Organic Certified Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) certification for farms and brands meeting regenerative organic standards for soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness, delivered via a Regenerative Organic System Plan (ROSP).

Quantifiable outcome

• Directory of over 4,000 certified organic producers and handlers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Comsint CommunicationscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 October 2025CCOF partnered with Comsint Communications for AI-driven strategic positioning, media relations, and market development for organic agriculture. Comsint provides strategic communications including policy communications, consumer engagement, and proactive media strategy. The partnership aims to position organic as essential infrastructure for a healthier world.
• National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2019NCAT partnered with USDA Food and Nutrition Service's Office of Community Food Systems to develop farm to school trainings for agricultural producers. The $1.8 million three-year project helps producers build capacity to market to schools.
• National Farm to School NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2019National Farm to School Network partnered with NCAT and USDA OCFS on a $1.8 million three-year project to help agricultural producers market to schools. NFSN serves as a national information, advocacy, and networking hub for farm to school initiatives.
• Organic Trade Association (OTA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCOF serves as a strategic partner of OTA, collaborating on organic industry advocacy and policy initiatives.
• National Organic Coalition (NOC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCOF is a network affiliate of NOC, working on policy advocacy at the national level.
• Organic Farmers Association (OFA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCOF is an organizational member of OFA, representing organic farmers in policy discussions.
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCOF is a represented member of NSAC, participating in sustainable agriculture policy advocacy.
• Accredited Certifiers Association (ACA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCOF Certification Services is a member of ACA, an association of USDA-accredited organic certifiers. CCOF actively participates in ACA Working Groups to develop consistent organic certification policies and practices.
• Santa Cruz County Farm BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCOF is an associate member of Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oregon Tilth (OTCO): One of the largest USDA-accredited organic certifiers in the US, focused on organic certification and education for farmers, handlers, and processors. Direct competitor to CCOF with similar scope across crop and processor certification.
• Quality Assurance International (QAI): Major USDA-accredited organic certifier offering organic and food-safety certifications to growers, processors, and retailers across North America. Closely comparable service breadth to CCOF, including international market access.
• Organic Certifiers: USDA-accredited organic certification body serving growers, wild crop harvesters, livestock producers, and processors. A direct competitor in the same USDA NOP certification market served by CCOF.
• ECOCERT: France-based global certification body offering organic and sustainability certifications in over 130 countries. Comparable to CCOF on organic certification and increasingly active in the US through its global organic program.
• Control Union: International certification and inspection body offering organic certification (multiple standards), sustainability, and supply-chain integrity services. Comparable to CCOF on organic certification breadth and international reach.
• SCS Global Services: Third-party certifier providing organic, food-safety, sustainability, and chain-of-custody certifications. Comparable to CCOF on USDA NOP organic certification and additional adjacencies like Regenerative and food safety.
• Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA International): One of the largest USDA-accredited organic certifiers worldwide, operating across crop production, livestock, and handling/processing — directly comparable scope to CCOF's grower and processor certification portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• GLOBALG.A.P. Scheme owner of the GLOBALG.A.P. food safety standard that CCOF offers as a certification service. Indirect competitor/scheme partner with overlapping food-safety certification footprint relative to CCOF's GLOBAL G.A.P. offering.
• NSF International: Global public-health and safety organization providing food-safety, organic, and quality certifications among many other services. Overlaps with CCOF on organic certification but as part of a much broader portfolio rather than an organic-focused specialist.

Regional players

• Kiwa BCS Öko-Garantie: Germany-based organic certification body serving primarily European markets with global expansion. Comparable scope to CCOF in organic certification, but with a primary European geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqFpRRg1JquOOzeFhKs0Gow
• Facebookfacebook.com/CCOForganic
• Xx.com/ccoforganic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ccof

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 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 California Certified Organic Farmers