Onecert
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersLincoln, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
Onecert firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Onecert industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Organic Certification Services
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Organic Certification Services (AFALAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH)
Keywords
Where Onecert is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lincoln
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Onecert business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Scope-based fee structure for certification |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Onecert product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Onecert
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Onecert technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Onecert partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Organic Coalition (NOC)coreOneCert 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 ProjectcoreOneCert 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 CoalitionminorOneCert 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 HaydenminorBeth 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
Onecert competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Onecert social profiles
Digital presenceOnecert compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Onecert financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Onecert leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Onecert subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Onecert funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Onecert M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Onecert
What does Onecert do?
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.
Is Onecert a public or private company?
Onecert is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Onecert founded?
Onecert was founded in 2003. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Onecert based?
Onecert is headquartered in Lincoln, United States, in the North America region.
How does Onecert make money?
One revenue line is on record: organic Certification Fees.
Who are Onecert's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Oregon Tilth, CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers), Baystate Organic Certifiers, Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA) and Quality Assurance International (QAI). Broad incumbents are SCS Global Services, Ecocert Group, Control Union and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) approved certification bodies. Real Organic Project (ROP) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Onecert have an API?
No public API is recorded for Onecert.
What industry is Onecert in?
Onecert's product category is Organic Certification Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFALAMAA, Organic Certification Services, with a secondary code of AFALADAH, Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned). Its NAICS code is 541380 and its SIC code is 700.