Who must be certified with Skal?

Growers, processors, traders and importers of organic products must be certified with Skal Biocontrole (Skal’s organic control body). Points of sale, such as shops and online shops, fall under a separate rule, with exceptions. The basis is the EU Organic Production Regulation 2018/848 . You can see whether your business is covered for each role below.

For more on the obligation itself, read is organic certification mandatory?. The registration process is set out in the step-by-step guide.

By role: who falls under what?

In its rates, Skal works with three groups: agricultural businesses, processing and trading businesses, and points of sale for consumers. This division helps you find your own role.

Role	Example	Certificate needed?
Grower or livestock farmer	An arable farmer, vegetable grower or dairy farmer	Yes
Processor	A bakery, dairy business or business that packs food	Yes
Trader	A wholesaler that buys and resells organic products	Yes
Importer	A business that brings in organic consignments from outside the EU	Yes, with extra import checks
Point of sale	A shop, market stall or online shop that sells to consumers	Sometimes, depending on what you sell
Hospitality and catering	A restaurant that uses organic ingredients	Generally not required

The table is a first orientation. A business can have more than one role. For example, a cheese farm is both a grower and a processor.

Growers and livestock farmers

Growing and livestock farming always fall under the obligation if you want to use the organic label. Skal has a separate group for this. The agricultural rate has three supervision arrangements: low, normal and high. The arrangement determines how often an inspector visits.

Example: Groentebedrijf Het Veldje (fictional) grows carrots and pumpkins on 12 hectares. The business registers for the agricultural group. Only once the certificate is in place may it sell the vegetables as organic.

Processors and traders

Processors and traders do something with organic products that the grower does not do. They make something from them, pack them, or resell them. This also falls under the obligation. Skal charges these businesses a separate rate, apart from agriculture.

Example: Bakkerij Lentezon (fictional) bakes organic bread from flour it buys in. The business is a processor. It sells the bread in its own shop, and that shop then falls under a separate rule. The business therefore has to look at both the processing group and the points of sale.

Importers

An importer brings organic products from outside the EU into the Netherlands. Skal checks every consignment. Since 1 April 2026, Skal passes the costs of those import checks on to the importer. This is set out in a Skal notice .

You can check your supplier’s Skal number on the check a Skal number page. More on importing is on the importers page.

Points of sale: shops, markets and online shops

Points of sale often come under an exception. A shop that only sells pre-packed organic products falls outside the certification obligation. A shop that sells loose organic products can, under conditions, make do with registration with Skal. Such a shop is supervised, but it does not need a certificate. This rule does not apply to animal feed.

A shop that bakes bread, or that cuts organic meat in the shop, does fall under the certification obligation. Skal names these two situations explicitly.

For online shops, it depends on what you sell and how you package it. Ask Skal.

Example: Zaadhuis Lente (fictional) is an online shop that sells organic seeds from other suppliers in their original packaging. Ask Skal whether registration is enough for that, and what changes if the business packs the seeds itself.

A shop that thinks registration is enough should check this carefully. Skal sends a notice to businesses that sell organic products without a certificate or registration.

Hospitality and catering

Under Dutch rules, hospitality and catering generally do not fall under the notification or certification obligation. A restaurant may therefore use organic ingredients without a Skal certificate.

If you are unsure about your own situation, for example because you also sell or pack organic products, ask Skal. The rules can differ from one situation to another.

Frequently asked questions

Must a small farmer also be certified?

Yes, if they want to sell their products as organic. Businesses with a turnover below €80,000 in the previous year can apply for an exemption from the three annual fees. This applies to small, fully organic businesses. You apply for it with Skal.

Must an importer also hold a certificate?

Yes. An importer that brings in organic consignments falls under the certification obligation. Skal checks consignments from outside the EU separately, and since April 2026 the costs of those checks fall on the importer.

If I only sell pre-packed organic products, am I done?

Usually, yes. A shop that only sells pre-packed organic products falls outside the inspection. But as soon as you sell loose products, bake bread or cut meat, that changes. Then check your situation with Skal.