Fresh produce will be rated according to pesticide use and its water and land footprint, as well as its impact on human health.

ECOCERT primarily certifies food, cosmetics, detergents, perfumes, and textiles. The company audits around 70% of France’s organic food industry and about 30% worldwide. It is also a leading authority for certifying fair trade food, cosmetics, and textiles in line with ECOCERT Fair Trade standards.

“Farmers who had proudly described their produce as organic for decades could no longer do so after 21 October 2002 unless they obtained certification from a USDA accredited agency. Today, most farmers who grow organically are not certified by the USDA. That ought not to be decisive, except that the law states a farmer may not describe or label a product as ‘organic’ not even as ‘uncertified organic’ unless they are certified by a USDA approved agency.”

Modest fines and the steady stream of new organic products appearing on the market may lead one to wonder whether the authorities devote enough time to verifying that what is promised on the label is truly inside the package. It also raises the question of whether the term "organic" has drifted into little more than a marketing slogan.

How many products that claim to be organic truly are? Many brands have refreshed their labels, yet have they changed their practices?