Friend of the Earth

What Friend of the Earth does

Friend of the Earth is a sustainability certification organization operated by the World Sustainability Organization S.R.L. A Socio Unico, a privately held Italian limited liability company headquartered in Milan at Via Sant'Antonio Maria Zaccaria 3. Founded by Paolo Bray (CEO and Director), the organization delivers third-party audited sustainability certification programs across a wide range of industries, including sustainable agriculture, farming, fashion and textiles, packaging, events, mining, tobacco leaf curing, alternative proteins, traceability, hospitality, furniture and interior design, smart working, sport, and travel agencies. The certifications are described as the only sustainable certification process recognized and supervised by a National Accreditation Body with rigorous third-party audit requirements.

The business model is application-based and certification-fee driven: companies apply through friendoftheearth.org/apply/, undergo a standards review, and complete third-party audits before receiving certification. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Beyond core certification, the organization operates a B2B Buy/Sell marketplace for certified products, a Sustainability Index assessment tool, the Tourism & Conservation Alliance program, the WSO Models Academy & Agency, and a portfolio of conservation projects (pangolins, turtles, primates, albatross, butterflies, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, big cats, mangroves, wetlands) channeled through its non-profit arm, the World Sustainability Foundation.

The go-to-market relies on direct enterprise applications via the website, presence at trade shows and industry conferences (e.g., Albanian Agriculture Days Expo), webinars, and earned media/press distribution. Distribution is global in claim, with active engagements in Europe, the Balkans, Southeast Asia (Vietnam), Central America (Galapagos), South America (Peru), Africa (Madagascar), and Asia (Mongolia). The organization is GDPR compliant, maintains Italian, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Portuguese website versions, and lists named partnerships with NGOs (Save Vietnam's Wildlife, Galapagos Conservation Trust) and government ministries (Italian and Albanian Ministries of Agriculture). Revenue, headcount, and funding are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Friend of the Earth

Legal name

World Sustainability Organization S.R.L. A Socio Unico

Website

https://friendoftheearth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friend of the Earth is a Milan-based sustainability certification organization that issues third-party audited certifications for sustainable agriculture, farming, fashion, textiles, travel, packaging, mining, and other industries, serving enterprises globally under the World Sustainability Organization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & Environmental Certifications (Carbon, Water, Regenerative) (AFALAMAC), Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL), Sustainability/Ethical Sourcing Claim Verification (RSPO, Rainforest, Fairtrade) (AFALAGAJ)

Keywords

• Sustainability certification
• Agriculture certification
• Environmental auditing
• Eco-label standards
• Third-party verification

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Friend of the Earth, operated by the World Sustainability Organization (WSO), provides third-party audited sustainability certifications for products and services across multiple industries including sustainable agriculture, farming, fashion and textiles, packaging, events, mining, tobacco, alternative proteins, traceability, travel agencies, hospitality, furniture, smart working, and sports. The certification process combines application submission, standards review, and on-site third-party audits supervised by a National Accreditation Body, resulting in a verified sustainability label that companies can apply to their certified products and operations.

Product overview

Friend of the Earth is a sustainability certification organization operated by the World Sustainability Organization (WSO) based in Milan, Italy. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of certification programs for sustainable products and services across multiple industries. The certification offerings span sustainable agriculture, farming, fashion/textiles, packaging, events, mining, tobacco, alternative proteins, traceability, travel agencies, hospitality, furniture, smart working, and sports. The company also operates conservation projects for endangered species (pangolins, turtles, primates, albatross, butterflies, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, big cats, mangroves, wetlands), maintains a B2B marketplace for certified products, and provides a Sustainability Index assessment tool. Friend of the Earth functions as a multi-industry certification body with associated conservation initiatives rather than a traditional software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Save Vietnam's Wildlife (SVW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024World Sustainability Foundation provides financial support to Save Vietnam's Wildlife rescue center in Vietnam. The partnership supports pangolin conservation through donations covering food, medical care, and management expenses for rescued pangolins. Donors from WSF tours visit the center and contribute to pangolin welfare.
• Nice Dive & TripsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023First travel agency to obtain WSO Sustainable Travel Agency certification. Based in Vienna, Austria. Focuses on exceptional travel experiences with biodiversity conservation. Represents flagship partner for the new Sustainable Travel Agencies certification.
• Galapagos Travel CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Galapagos Travel Center launched sustainable tours to the Galapagos Islands in collaboration with World Sustainability Foundation. The partnership includes €500 donation per person booked to both WSF and Galapagos Conservation Trust for marine conservation. Tours led by WSF Conservation Manager Mario Passoni.
• Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023UK-registered charity focused exclusively on Galapagos Archipelago conservation. Receives donations from sustainable tour partnerships. Works on island restoration and ocean protection in the Galapagos.
• World Sustainability Foundation (WSF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Non-profit arm of World Sustainability Organization. Develops and supports conservation projects worldwide including Italy, Madagascar, Peru, Mongolia, and Vietnam. Collaborates with NGOs and local communities on endangered species protection.
• World Sustainability Organization (WSO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization delivering Friend of the Earth and Friend of the Sea certifications. Founded to promote sustainability as a solution to preserve planetary resources, restore critical habitats, and protect endangered species. Based in Milan, Italy with international operations.
• Albanian and Italian Ministries of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership ratified through Memorandum of Understanding between Italy and Albania for sustainable agriculture cooperation. Supports presentation of Friend of the Earth and Friend of the Sea certifications at Albanian Agriculture Days Expo.
• Scuba CruiseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel agency that organized the March 2024 trip to Save Vietnam's Wildlife rescue center. Led group of 10 donors for volunteer activities at the pangolin conservation facility.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fairtrade International: Global sustainability and ethical sourcing certifier covering food, textiles, and cosmetics — a recognized alternative for companies seeking accredited sustainability and supply-chain verification.
• Friend of the Sea: Sister brand under the same World Sustainability Organization parent, offering sustainability certifications for seafood and marine products. Operates the same accreditation model and shares founder Paolo Bray, making it the closest operational and structural peer.
• SCS Global Services: Third-party certification, auditing, and testing provider across sustainability, food, agriculture, and forestry. Operates an accredited multi-vertical certification model analogous to Friend of the Earth.
• Control Union: Global certification and inspection body providing sustainability and organic certifications across agriculture, forestry, textiles, and energy — directly competing for accredited third-party certification mandates.
• ECOCERT: France-based third-party certification body offering sustainability, organic, and environmental certifications across agriculture, textiles, cosmetics, and food — directly overlapping Friend of the Earth's multi-vertical certification model.
• Rainforest Alliance: International sustainability certification organization with standards across agriculture, forestry, and tourism. Competes for third-party sustainability labeling mandates in overlapping verticals.
• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): Leading textile-specific organic and sustainability certification standard. Competes directly with Friend of the Earth's Sustainable Textiles and Fashion certifications for apparel and textile supply chains.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): Global non-profit setting standards for responsible forest management and chain-of-custody certification. Overlaps with Friend of the Earth's agriculture, farming, and traceability offerings that touch forestry-linked supply chains.
• B Lab (B Corporation): Operates the B Corp certification for companies meeting verified social and environmental performance standards — directly comparable as a multi-industry sustainability certification with global brand recognition.

Emerging players

• Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute: Product-level sustainability certification covering material health, circularity, and social fairness. An emerging but credible competitor for product sustainability certifications in fashion, packaging, and furniture.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/friendofthesea
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLLvGqj_CiTridsMCyO7tmwPCufrQAQHHV
• Facebookfacebook.com/friendoftheseaorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendofthesea_official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friend-of-the-earth

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Friend of the Earth