What do these symbols mean?

Resources

USDA Organic

USDA organic products have strict production and labeling requirements. Organic products must meet the following requirements:

Produced without excluded methods, (e.g., genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge).Policy on genetically modified organisms (pdf)

Produced using allowed substances. View the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List).

Overseen by a USDA National Organic Program-authorized certifying agent, following all USDA organic regulations.

European Union Organic

Foods may be labelled European Union "organic" only if:
At least 95% of their agricultural ingredients meet the necessary standards. In non-organic foods, any ingredients which meet organic standards can be listed as organic. To ensure credibility, the code number of the certifying organisation must be provided.

Organic production outlaws the use of genetically modified organisms and derived products. However, the regulation on genetically modified food and feed lays down a threshold (0.9%) under which a product's GMO content does not have to be indicated. Products with GMO content below this threshold can be labelled organic.

Since 1 July 2010, producers of packaged organic food have been required under EU law to use the EU organic logo. However, this is not a binding requirement for organic foods from non-EU countries. Where the EU organic logo is used, the place where any farmed ingredients were produced must be indicated.

Presidio Slow Food

Presidio Slow Food was set up to protect:
A traditional product at risk of extinction (an Ark of Taste Product);
A traditional processing method at risk of extinction (in fishing, animal husbandry, food processing and farming); A rural landscape or ecosystem at risk of extinction.

To set up a Slow Food Presidium, it is necessary to verify two elements:
Environmental sustainability (the “clean” element -alongside “good and fair”- which means respecting the fertility of the land and of hydrographic ecosystems, excluding the use of synthetic chemical substances, maintaining traditional farming and land management practices, …)

Social sustainability (the “fair” element: producers must have an active role and total autonomy in the management of their activity, they must collaborate and together define the rules of production and forms of product promotion, possibly joining together to form collectives)