Certification under the Bio Suisse standards (BIOSUISSE ORGANIC)

The Swiss market - small in area, big in opportunities

The Swiss spend more on organic food than any other nation. In 2025, the turnover of the organic market reached 4.3 billion Swiss francs, and its share of the food market is 12.3%. Almost one in five farms in the country is organic. Around 90% of them work to the Bio Suisse standards. The “Bud” label is one of the most recognised and respected labels among Swiss consumers.

Domestic production cannot meet all the demand. That is why Bio Suisse allows imports of products that are not produced in Switzerland or are not produced in sufficient quantity. Imports are subject to a clear policy:

• Swiss products have priority, and imports only make up for shortfalls;
• products from neighbouring countries, Europe and the Mediterranean are preferred over those from overseas regions;
• as a rule, raw materials and single-ingredient products are imported, while processed products are approved by exception;
• which products may be imported and under what conditions is set out in the Bio Suisse Approval list;
• only land and sea transport is permitted, and air transport is excluded;
• every delivery is registered in the Supply Chain Monitor traceability system.

Who does what

• Bio Suisse is a private organisation. It develops the standards and owns the “Bud” label. The standards build on the Swiss Organic Farming Ordinance.
• ICB AG is a subsidiary of Bio Suisse. It certifies operators outside Switzerland and issues the BIOSUISSE ORGANIC certificate.
• Balkan Biocert is a control body with a contract with ICB AG. Our inspectors are trained and tested every year by ICB AG. They carry out the on-site inspection, complete the BIOSUISSE ORGANIC checklist and send the documentation package to ICB AG: checklist, EU certificate, certification decision and inspection report.
• The Swiss importer or licensee is the trading partner. They usually initiate the certification of their suppliers.

Prerequisites for certification

• A valid organic certificate under Regulation (EU) 2018/848 or an equivalent standard.
• As a rule - a Swiss importer. From 2025, the operator may also bear the certification costs itself in the first year, until it finds a buyer.
• The EU and Bio Suisse inspections are carried out by the same control body.

Main requirements that build on Regulation (EU) 2018/848

The entire farm is organic. All crops and areas are managed and inspected according to the Bio Suisse standards, regardless of whether the produce is intended for Switzerland. Conventional parcels or animals are not allowed. The manager may not run a conventional farm.

Conversion period. New areas are recognised after at least 24 months of organic management. Retroactive recognition of a previous period is not allowed. A conversion period completed under the EU regulation is recognised.

Biodiversity. At least 7% of the utilised agricultural area must be biodiversity areas. These include hedges, solitary native trees, unfertilised pastures, dry stone walls and others. For the first certification, 2% is sufficient. At least two additional measures are also required. Uncultivated strips 6 m wide are left around natural water bodies.

Fertilisation. The quantities applied are limited per hectare per year. Peat, potassium chloride and nitrogen fertilisers from ammonia stripping are prohibited. Micronutrient fertilisers are used only where a need is proven, and chelates only in combination with trace elements.

Plant protection. All herbicides are prohibited, including vinegar, salt and fatty acids. Growth regulators, ethephon and calcium carbide are also prohibited. Copper is limited to the following amounts of pure copper per hectare per year:

Seeds and planting material. Organic material is used. Conventional untreated seed is permitted only if the control body confirms that no organic seed is available. Treated seed is prohibited. Hybrid seed of cereals is prohibited, with the exception of maize. Varieties obtained by cell fusion are also prohibited, with certain exceptions. Seedlings for annual crops must be organic, and the substrate must contain no more than 70% peat.

Soil and crop rotation. At least 20% of the crop rotation consists of soil-improving crops: cereal-legume mixtures, green manure, grasses. Outside the growing season, at least 50% of the arable area must be covered with vegetation. Permanent crops are kept grassed all year round. A break of at least 12 months is observed between two main crops of the same species.

Water. Irrigation must not damage soil fertility. The use of non-renewable fossil water resources is prohibited. Farms in water-risk areas according to the Aqueduct atlas maintain a water management plan.

Other requirements. Vegetable greenhouses are heated only to keep them frost-free (up to 5 °C). Produce from areas obtained by clearing forests or destroying valuable natural areas after 2004 is not certified. Livestock production on the farm must comply with the EU regulation.

Social responsibility. Operators with more than 20 employees who do not have a recognised social certification complete a declaration on the Bio Suisse social requirements every three years.

Processing and trade

• Storage and processing fully comply with the Bio Suisse standards (Part III). The recipes of processed products are approved by Bio Suisse before the first certification.
• Only certain methods are permitted against storage pests: physical and mechanical methods, inert gases (CO₂, N₂), low oxygen, diatomaceous earth and beneficial organisms.
• Subcontractors that pack and label must have their own BIOSUISSE ORGANIC certificate. Their inspection is carried out together with the EU inspection.
• Products are labelled “BIOSUISSE ORGANIC” in the documents and on the export packaging. The “Bud” label is not used by operators outside Switzerland.

Beekeeping and producer groups

Beekeeping. It is inspected using a special ICB AG checklist. This covers the location of the hives and their distance from GMO areas, the origin of the wax, feeding and varroa treatment. Honey, wax, propolis and royal jelly can be certified.

Producer groups. The inspection covers the group's internal control system (ICS) and visits to members. Simplified certification is allowed under certain conditions.

This text is a summary for information purposes. The current Bio Suisse standards (original in German) and the guidance of ICB AG are binding. Sources: Summary of the Bio Suisse Standards 01/2026; ICB-Update 2026-1; international.bio-suisse.ch.