China Issues New Organic Product Catalogue – Should You Certify Your Products?

China has updated the organic product certification catalogue in the latest move to improve and standardise the country’s voluntary certification scheme. As the rules tighten, companies are evaluating whether organic certification can benefit their market positioning and growth in China’s growing organic sector.

The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), China’s market regulator, has released an updated version of the Organic Product Certification Catalogue. The catalogue is the main document used by certification bodies to accept applications for organic product certification.

The updated document, which now contains 1,087 products, including 747 unprocessed or minimally processed and 340 processed, seeks to optimise the application of organic product certification in China by improving category descriptions and ensuring entries can be accurately certified.

The regulator removed 312 products from the previous iteration because they could not adequately meet organic production requirements and processing standards, or had limited market demand. 25 new cultivated, foraged, and processed products were added.

Organic product certification bodies can now accept applications for products listed in the new catalogue. Products that have previously been certified but are not included in the new catalogue will expire at the end of their validity period.

China has been steadily optimising its organic product certification system. In January 2026, an updated version of the Organic Product Certification Implementation Rules took effect, along with an updated explanatory document. The new rules introduce clearer certification boundaries, higher competency requirements for certification bodies and personnel, and more detailed technical specifications covering each stage of the certification process.

What is organic product certification in China?

Organic product certification is a voluntary national certification scheme, based on the national standard GB/T 19630, which covers organic production, processing, labeling and sales, and management systems.

Organic product certification applies to both domestically produced and imported goods. Overseas organic certifications or labels are not valid in China except where China has established an arrangement or mutual recognition scheme with a foreign country. Currently, only New Zealand has reached such an arrangement with China. Exporters that wish to market their products as organic in the Chinese market must therefore have them certified by a body in China, adhering to the same technical and procedural rules as domestic producers.

What counts as “organic” in China?

A product that is certified as “organic” has been confirmed to have adhered to certain requirements and standards across the product’s lifecycle, from raw materials to packaging and distribution.

Specifically, for a product to be certified as organic, it must meet the following four criteria: 

1. Raw materials must originate from an organic farming system or be wild, naturally occurring products harvested using organic methods. 
2. The entire production process must adhere to requirements for production, processing, packaging, storage, and transportation. 
3. The production and distribution processes must include a robust traceability and audit system, along with complete records of production and sales. 
4. The product must pass a certification review conducted by an independent organic product certification body.

Organic agricultural products are produced according to specific organic farming standards, and avoid genetically engineered organisms and their derivatives, chemically synthesised pesticides, fertilisers, growth regulators, and feed additives.

Organic production refers more generally to the process of producing, processing, and selling products intended for human or animal consumption that comply with national standards for organic products.

Is an organic label in China worth it?

Having a product certified as organic comes with significant additional compliance costs and administrative burdens. As mentioned, a product that has already been certified organic overseas will still need to undergo local certification if exported to China. Certification requires engaging a local certification body, which will involve significant document preparation, on-site inspections (including inspections of warehouses in the case of imported products), sample testing, inspection of the environmental quality of the production site, and other compliance procedures.

Certified products must also undergo ongoing monitoring, which includes on-site inspections at least once a year.

For this reason, the decision to certify and market a product as organic will depend on a company’s specific brand goals and the product’s potential market positioning.

As organic products are usually more expensive, they are generally positioned as a premium product, thus narrowing the consumer base. Nonetheless, with China’s rising income levels, the market potential for organic products is huge. According to the report Organic Product Certification and Organic Industry Development in China (2025) released by SAMR, in 2024, sales of organic products grew over 22 percent year-on-year to RMB 124.7 billion (US$19 billion), making China the world’s third-largest market for organic consumption.

Research suggests awareness of organic products and purchase intent is on the rise. The 2025–2026 China Green Consumer Behaviour White Paper from iiMedia Research found that almost 90 percent of consumers had previously purchased organic products, indicating a solid foundation of demand and awareness. Of this 90 percent, almost 20 percent said they buy organic at least once a week, and almost 10 percent do so multiple times a week.

Around 50 percent of consumers said they looked at certification labels when choosing green or organic food.

As demand and awareness grow, an organic label can be an effective marketing tool, communicating both quality and safety for increasingly health-conscious consumers. With the additional costs of certification, the label is best suited to products that can be sold at a premium or for brands seeking to break into the high-end consumer segment.

How Dezan Shira & Associates can help

For companies weighing whether organic certification is worth the investment, the decision comes down to market positioning as much as compliance. Companies should evaluate whether a product’s price point, target consumer segment, and brand strategy align with certification’s costs and administrative demands before committing to inspections, documentation, and ongoing monitoring.

Dezan Shira & Associates helps companies assess suitability, from evaluating market potential and consumer demand to guiding businesses through the certification process. Drawing on our on-the-ground presence across China and broader ESG and sustainability advisory experience, we help companies determine whether and how to position their products in China’s growing organic market. Get in touch with our advisors today.