The first products certified to the organic and natural Cosmos standards cannot be expected before spring 2010, but UK member Soil Association is confident uptake will be strong.
The number of products certified natural or organic is set to rise but the problem of competing standards remains unsolved, according to Organic Monitor.
Natrue is working on a mutual recognition agreement with Quality Assurance International (QAI) that the certifier hails as a step towards international harmonisation.
Before the industry can benefit from global natural and organic standards, both Europe and the US must first come to a consensus within their own markets, which is proving to be a complex undertaking.