KRAV is Sweden’s most well-known sustainability label for food and beverages,
based on ecological principles with especially high standards for animal welfare,
biodiversity, social responsibility and climate impact. The KRAV labels are
a trademark registered with The Swedish Patent and Registration Office. The registration gives the KRAV Association sole and exclusive rights to the
trademark. Companies that comply with the standards and are KRAV-certified,
as well as pay the license fee, can use the KRAV trademark. Please see the link: https://www.krav.se/en/
KRAV’s vision is that all food production should be economical, ecologically
and socially sustainable and meet current needs without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their needs. The KRAV standards are based on a holistic view and therefore take into consideration many factors in the production system and the surrounding environment.
Swedish law also requires that organic production complies with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2018/848. Therefore, KRAV develops its standards based on the principles of organic farming defined by IFOAM, but not limited to these, it also considers EU regulations concerning organic production. All KRAV-certified operations must also comply with national laws, for example, animal welfare and environmental legislation.
In order to use the KRAV label, you need a certificate demonstrating that your operation complies with KRAV standards. Certificates are issued by independent certification bodies authorized to conduct inspection and certification according to KRAV standards. In addition, for verification of additional requirements specified in the KRAV Standards for imported products, you can find the list of control bodies through the following link:
KRAV’s vision of sustainable production also includes social responsibility. Therefore, KRAV has social responsibility standards not found in EU organic standards.
KRAV has additional requirements regarding social responsibility in imports. Please see the relevant link: https://www.krav.se/en/for-companies/support-and-tools/certifications-and-supplier-evaluations-which-fulfill-kravs-extra-requirements-for-social-responsibility/
The list of plant protection products permitted under KRAV standards is generally in line with EU legislation, but there are some exceptions where KRAV standards are more restrictive. KRAV prohibits the use of copper compounds in the control of fungal diseases, as the amount of copper required would exceed KRAV’s heavy metal limit.
Pasture or green manure must constitute at least 20% of the main crops in the crop rotation for each plot of land. However, the share of pasture can be reduced to 10% if 10% of the main crops in the crop rotation consist of legumes, or if your production of cover crops, base crops, and intermediate crops takes place annually on at least 50% of your KRAV-certified plots of land.