Onecert

What Onecert does

OneCert is a privately held, family-owned USDA-accredited organic certification agency headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, founded by Sam Welsch and accredited on Earth Day 2003. The company's core offering is certification under the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), complemented by Transitional Verification for producers building toward full organic status, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification since 2008, export certificate services (Great Britain, Korea NAQS, Japan/Taiwan TM-11, and Transaction Certificates), and a dual-certification partnership with the Real Organic Project delivered through a single inspection at no additional cost. Geographically, OneCert serves certified operations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, while its wholly-owned subsidiary OneCert International extends coverage into Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

The underlying technology stack is centered on a custom internal certification database, a secure Client Portal (app.onecert.com) for accessing certificates, annex, and label addenda, and the recently launched myOID web application (October 2025) which monitors organic certified suppliers by ingesting USDA Organic Integrity Database data daily, providing searchable supplier profiles, email alerts on status or product changes, and team collaboration features. myOID is offered free to OneCert clients, functioning as a retention and service-quality layer rather than a separately monetized product. The application and certification workflow itself is largely manual and human-expert-driven: producers submit an Organic System Plan, OneCert assigns a dedicated Certification Specialist, on-site inspections are scheduled, and final certification reviews are completed by tenured staff (producer team averaging nine years tenure, handler team with 60+ years of combined OneCert experience).

OneCert generates revenue primarily through recurring certification fees — application fees, inspection fees, and annual renewal fees — organized by scope (Crops, Wild Crops, Livestock for producers and Handling for processors), with a recently consolidated Handling-and-Producer fee schedule. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and direct: prospects request an application packet via the company website, complete the Organic System Plan, and are supported through a named Certification Specialist. Customer segments span producers (family farms through large diversified operations), handlers and processors in food, feed, fiber, and specialty products, traders and brokers, importers and international clients, and retail enterprises such as Natural Grocers, which the company supports across 175 organic certificates. Following the April 2025 ownership transition to Karlin Warner (CEO) and Jeremy Warner, the company continues to operate without outside venture capital or private equity backing.

Name

Onecert

Legal name

OneCert, Inc.

Website

https://onecert.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

OneCert is a privately held, USDA-accredited organic certification agency headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, certifying producers, handlers, traders, and retailers across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico under the USDA National Organic Program, with additional GOTS textile, export certificate, and supplier monitoring services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFALAMAA

Organic Certification Services

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Certification Services (Organic, Non-GMO, etc.)

SECONDARYAFALADAH

Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Regulatory Compliance Testing & Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA, HACCP)

Keywords

• USDA organic certification
• Organic certification agency
• Organic textile certification
• Transitional verification services
• Supplier integrity monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Organic Certification Fees: OneCert generates revenue through certification fees including application fees, inspection fees, and annual renewal fees. The company notes 'simple, all-inclusive fees' and has a combined Handling and Producer scopes fee schedule. Fees vary by scope (crops, wild crops, livestock, handling).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OneCert is a USDA-accredited organic certification agency that issues USDA National Organic Program (NOP) certifications to organic operations across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The service covers producers (crops, wild crops, livestock), handlers and processors, traders, brokers, and importers, and includes application review, on-site inspection, certification review, and ongoing compliance support via a dedicated Certification Specialist and a secure Client Portal.

Product overview

OneCert is an organic certification agency offering a comprehensive suite of certification services under the USDA National Organic Program. The core offering is USDA NOP Certification for organic operations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, supplemented by Transitional Verification for producers transitioning to organic. Key products include the myOID supplier monitoring platform (free for clients), Client Portal for certificate access, Resource Library with forms and guidance, and Export Certificate Services for international trade. OneCert also offers GOTS textile certification and partnerships with the Real Organic Project for dual certification. The company operates from Lincoln, NE and has provided USDA accreditation since 2003.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• myOID: A web application powered by OneCert that helps monitor organic certified suppliers by gathering information from the USDA's Organic Integrity Database.

Products and services

• USDA National Organic Program (NOP) Certification OneCert's flagship certification service covering organic operations (producers, handlers, traders, importers) in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The certification includes application review, on-site inspection, and final certification review against USDA organic requirements, with ongoing annual renewal and support from an assigned Certification Specialist.
• Transitional Verification Verification service for organic producers building toward full USDA Organic certification during the mandatory three-year transition period. Provides documentation and verification that an operation's land and practices comply with organic rules during transition.
• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) Certification Textile certification service under the Global Organic Textile Standard, covering processing, manufacturing, and trading of organic textile products. One of the additional certification programs OneCert offers beyond USDA NOP.
• myOID Supplier Monitoring Platform Web application powered by OneCert that monitors organic certified suppliers by gathering information daily from the USDA's Organic Integrity Database (OID). Users can set monitoring on specific operations, receive email notifications when status or product listings change, and collaborate across teams. Free for OneCert clients.
• Export Certificate Services Issuance of export certificates including Certificate of Inspection for Great Britain (GB-COI), NAQS Export Certificate for Korea, TM-11 Export Certificate for Japan/Taiwan, and Transaction Certificates for international organic trade.
• Real Organic Project (ROP) Dual Certification Partnership program delivering dual USDA Organic and Real Organic Project certification through a single OneCert-led inspection at no additional cost. Certified operations gain a second high-integrity label (ROP) emphasizing soil health, pasture-raised animals, and labor protections.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 75% reimbursement of certification costs (up to $750 per scope) through USDA Organic Certification Cost Share Program

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Organic Coalition (NOC)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026OneCert co-sponsors the National Organic Coalition's Pre-NOSB meetings and events. The NOC organizes educational sessions for farmers and the organic community, with OneCert providing financial and logistical support for these industry events.
• Real Organic ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024OneCert partners with the Real Organic Project (ROP) to provide dual inspections at no additional cost to certified organic farmers. One inspection earns two high-integrity labels (USDA Organic and ROP). ROP is a farmer-led, grassroots movement with a mission to bring organic back to its roots: plants grown in healthy living soil, animals raised on well-managed pasture, labor protections for farm workers, and integrity. ROP has 1,000 farms certified through this partnership.
• Organic Soil CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023OneCert is a member of the Organic Soil Coalition and helped develop a position statement to uphold and enforce organic standards as written, ensuring soil remains central to organic production and label integrity.
• Beth HaydenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Beth Hayden provided invaluable advice during OneCert's development of its quality system for USDA accreditation in 2003, emphasizing focus on laws and regulations for efficient accreditation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oregon Tilth: USDA-accredited organic certifier focused on producers and handlers in the Pacific Northwest and nationally. Directly comparable in organic certification scope, philosophy of integrity, and mid-sized agency positioning.
• CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers): One of the largest USDA-accredited organic certification agencies in the U.S., offering NOP certification across producer, handler and livestock scopes. Directly comparable to OneCert in service mix, customer base, and target geography.
• Baystate Organic Certifiers: USDA-accredited organic certifier providing NOP certification to growers and processors nationwide. Comparable as a similarly-sized, independent accredited certifier competing for the same mid-market producer and handler accounts.
• Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA): USDA-accredited organic certification agency serving farmers and processors primarily in the Midwest. Directly comparable in scope and orientation, and a regional competitor to OneCert's producer-heavy client base.
• Quality Assurance International (QAI): USDA-accredited organic certification body certifying producers, handlers and private-label products across North America. Directly comparable in NOP certification services with heavier enterprise/retail focus.

Broad incumbents

• SCS Global Services: Multi-disciplinary certification and testing firm covering organic, food safety, sustainability and textile standards. Comparable as a one-stop third-party certifier but operates at significantly larger scale and across many non-organic verticals.
• Ecocert Group: Global certification body offering organic, cosmetic, textile and sustainability certifications across dozens of countries. Comparable as a multi-standard certifier serving international supply chains, though at much larger scale and broader scope than OneCert.
• Control Union: Global certification and inspection company providing organic, textile, and sustainability certifications worldwide. Comparable in offering multi-standard organic certification including textiles, competing for international organic handler accounts.
• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) approved certification bodies: GOTS-accredited bodies (e.g., Control Union, Ecocert, OCS) issue the textile-side certifications OneCert also offers. Comparable in the textile scope specifically and compete with OneCert for GOTS-certified brand and manufacturer accounts.

Emerging players

• Real Organic Project (ROP): Farmer-led add-on certification program partnered with OneCert for dual inspections. Comparable as a high-integrity add-on label sitting on top of USDA NOP, currently small but representative of the 'beyond-organic' add-on space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/onecert-inc.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Onecert