A total of 16 different types of activities can carry the KRAV label, each corresponding to a production category in the KRAV Standards. When KRAV began in 1985, the standards covered only crop production and fit on a single A4 page. Today, they fill a 300-page book to encompass all areas.
While the KRAV label is primarily intended for food, other raw materials can also be certified. KRAV determines which products may carry the label and which types of production or handling can be KRAV-certified.
KRAV certification means that a company has been audited and approved to label products that meet the KRAV Standards. A KRAV-certified company may also produce goods that are not KRAV-labelled. Certification is carried out by independent certification bodies that audit companies to ensure compliance with the standards.
These Activities can be KRAV-certified
- crop production
- greenhouses
- mushroom cultivation
- animal husbandry
- apiculture
- aquaculture (cultivation of fish, crustaceans and algae, for example)
- wild harvest production (berries, plants, fungi)
- food processing
- slaughter
- feed production
- production aids (soil, manure, etc.)
- restaurants and caterers
- import and bringing-in
- fisheries
- marketing
- hygiene standards when cultivating and handling fruit and vegetables
Some KRAV Standards apply to all types of production, while others are tailored to specific production types. For food processing, feed production, production aids, and import or bringing-in, companies must register each product with KRAV before it can be sold.
Other activities require a conversion period after registering with KRAV and receiving an agreement from a certification body, before products can be sold with the KRAV label. This applies to crop production, as artificial chemical pesticides and fertilisers need time to break down in areas where they were previously used. A conversion period is also required for animal husbandry, during which the KRAV label cannot be used for animals or animal products until the period is complete.
NOT ONLY SWEDISH PRODUCTS
KRAV is a Swedish sustainability label, but it is not limited to Swedish production. The agricultural standards can be applied throughout the Nordic countries, while the fisheries standards cover the Northeast Atlantic, the Baltic Sea, and Nordic freshwater areas. The remaining KRAV standards apply across the EU and the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway).
Imported products and raw materials can also be KRAV-labelled. The aim is to promote the production and consumption of KRAV-labelled goods not only in Sweden but internationally. Specific standards apply to imported products, although these are not as detailed as those for Swedish goods. Instead, KRAV has identified a set of especially important “extra requirements” that must be met—going beyond the EU’s minimum standards for organic products.
These extra requirements reflect KRAV’s added value in areas such as animal welfare, environmental and human health, better working conditions, and reduced climate impact.
