ROC – Regenerative Organic Certified
Regenerative agriculture is a philosophy (supported by a set of farming practices) aimed at reversing the depletion of natural resources caused by industrial agriculture. Its goal is to build healthy soil for future generations, increase biodiversity, restore balance in ecosystems, and mitigate climate change.
Regenerative agriculture incorporates many practices used in other holistic farming systems, without entirely rejecting the use of chemical substances. Instead, it seeks to minimize mechanical operations and the use of inputs that could harm soil organic matter and living organisms.
Bioagricert has joined the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA), promoted by Patagonia, as an approved certifier. It is now able to offer certification services that allow the use of the Regenerative Organic Certified® label on organic products that also comply with the regenerative agriculture standards set by this organization.
Organic certification is a mandatory prerequisite for obtaining the Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) certification.
According to the official guidelines of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, only companies that are already certified organic can enter the ROC certification process. This is because the ROC standard builds upon organic practices as a foundation, and enhances them with more advanced requirements in terms of:
- Soil health and regeneration
- Animal welfare
- Social fairness
Therefore, ROC is considered a “second-tier” certification, layered on top of organic certification, further raising environmental and ethical standards.