There is, in the history of Ecocert, a singularity that its general director, Philippe Thomazoreadily assumes. The company was not born as a classic certifier who came to invest in the field of organic farming. It was built in the opposite movement. Coming from the associative world and originally supported by agronomists engaged in the promotion of different agricultural practices, Ecocert developed from organic farming before making certification its business.
During an exchange with the press in Toulouse, Philippe Thomazo recalled this particular trajectory, describing Ecocert as a “a bit of a UFO” company. The group, created in 1991first established itself in the organic agri-food industry, before following the plant-based sectors to other territories and other markets. HAS” We were born organic towards certification “, summarizes the manager, in opposition to other historical players in the sector, who have come from certification to organic.
This positioning has shaped the identity of the group. Chaired today by Jérémie Vidalqui a succédé à son père William Vidaland directed by Philippe Thomazo, Ecocert now has 2,180 employees in the world. The company supports more than 80 000 clients in France and internationally, by intervening in the collection and verification of sustainability data, the certification of demanding labels, training and advice.
125 million euros in turnover in 2025
In 2025Ecocert claims a turnover of 125 million euros. This performance confirms the group’s ability to evolve in a more demanding economic and regulatory environment, marked by the slowdown in certain markets, inflation, geopolitical tensions and the growing demand for evidence in environmental matters.
The international now plays a central role in this dynamic. 61% of the group’s activity is carried out outside Franceagainst 39% on the national market. A development which reflects the acceleration of a movement underway for several decades, when the certification of organic agri-food products led Ecocert to move up production chains, particularly on raw materials grown outside France.
This opening is accompanied by progressive diversification. Organic farming remains the historic heart of the group and still represents 61% of its turnover. But Ecocert is now developing other activities: eco-productswho weigh 20 % of turnover, expertise linked toethical and sustainablewhich represent 14 %as well as the services of advice and trainingup to 5 %.
For Philippe Thomazo, this diversification responds as much to economic logic as to impact logic. When the organic market slows down, other relays make it possible to maintain growth. But the claimed ambition remains the same: to direct practices towards greater sustainability.Pauline Raffaitainresponsible for public and regulatory affairs at Ecocert, summarizes this approach with a formula: “ The more customers there are, the more practices change towards practices more oriented towards sustainability. »
A brand recognized by consumers
One of Ecocert’s strengths is its reputation among the general public. In the world of certification, there are few organizations whose name is directly identified by consumers. Ecocert is one of these exceptions. Its logo is associated, in the minds of many buyers, with a guarantee of seriousness and commitment.
Philippe Thomazo underlines this particular recognition: in a supermarket, consumers do not spontaneously look for the name of the world’s major certifiers on a product. On the other hand, many identify Ecocert as a benchmark. This reputation acquired in the organic food industry then allowed the group to extend its brand to other consumer sectors, notably cosmeticthe textileTHE home productsthe equitable commerce or the procedures linked to theagriculture durable.
This evolution follows a common thread: everyday products. Ecocert remains predominantly positioned on products with which consumers are in frequent contact, whether it is what they eat, apply to their skin, wear or use in their home. For the group, the challenge is to act on significant volumes, by transforming production chains, product composition and company practices.
150 certifications and an internal committee to stay on course
Ecocert’s diversification cannot be achieved without safeguards. The group currently deploys approximately 150 certifications différentesbut these are reviewed internally before being included in its catalog. Philippe Thomazo notably mentioned the role of performance evaluation committeemade up of employees, responsible for verifying that the certifications offered are aligned with the company’s values and sufficiently demanding to produce a transformative effect.
This requirement also explains certain positions. The manager, for example, recalled the group’s reservations on approaches whose title could, according to him, lead to confusion among consumers. The challenge is not only to certify, but to guarantee that the promise carried by a label remains readable, robust and proportionate to the effort actually required.
This positioning comes in a context where environmental claims are increasingly observed, contested and regulated. For Ecocert, this regulatory development opens a new field of intervention, at the intersection of certification, data, proof and transparency.
The fight against greenwashing opens a new market
One of the big topics in the coming years concerns the reliability of environmental claims. There European Union Green Transition Directive 2024/825also known by its English title Empowering Consumers for the Green Transitionaims to better protect consumers against vague, misleading or insufficiently substantiated messages.
Pour Cècile Caminelmarketing and external communications manager at Ecocert, the text marks a turning point. It is no longer just a matter of framing a few notices on the packaging. All messages addressed to consumers are affected, including on websites or marketing materials. Claims will need to be able to be proven and self-declared labels will have much less room. The approaches must be based on robust systems, verified by independent third parties.
In this context, Ecocert intends to strengthen its verification services. Companies will need to demonstrate the truth of their messages, secure their environmental communications and avoid legal or reputational risks. Philippe Thomazo summarizes this evolution as follows: “ We are moving towards a world where, to provide transparency, we will have to provide evidence. »
This shift places data at the heart of the profession. Auditing is no longer just about observing practices in the field. It is also about collecting, controlling and certifying information. ” We’re going to check the data. We collect data, verify it and certify it “, explains Philippe Thomazo. This logic already permeates several areas of development of the group.
Digitalization, reasoned AI and product passport
Ecocert is also continuing its digital transformation. The group has generalized its customer portal to 70% of its customers and intends to go further with digital tools intended to facilitate the monitoring of certifications, information management and access to data. The group is also working on an innovative professional directory for cosmetic ingredients and is calling for the use of a pragmatic and reasoned artificial intelligenceserving quality and performance.
This technological approach does not call into question the role of humans. In the exchange with the press, the group’s representatives insisted on the importance of the auditor, whose expertise remains central. Technology is presented as a support tool, capable of increasing precision, streamlining procedures and improving the restitution of information, but not as a substitute for human analysis.
The rise of digital passport product illustrates this evolution. Gradually deployed in several sectors, including textiles, this system aims to provide access to a real identity card for the product, with information on its conformity, its safety, its origin, its environmental characteristics or its conditions of use. For Ecocert, this is a natural extension of its business: verifying the quality of the data declared and helping companies build credible systems.
Sustainable packaging, a new growth driver
Another area of diversification: sustainable and recycled materials and packaging. The subject has become essential for manufacturers, faced with regulatory pressure, consumer expectations and the issues of circularity of plastics. Ecocert started working on these offers around two years ago and is now entering a more concrete deployment phase.
The group intends in particular to support companies with the traceability of recycled materials and the recyclability of packaging. Several approaches already exist, such as international certifications GRS et RCS for recycled materials, or devices linked to the recyclability of packaging. Ecocert wants to select the standards deemed to be the most relevant and demanding for the sectors in which it operates.
Philippe Thomazo insists on the transversal dimension of the subject. Packaging concerns the food industry, cosmetics, cleaning products and more broadly all consumer sectors. Ultimately, the manager estimates that offers linked to sustainable materials could represent up to 10% of the activity of the group, which would constitute a significant development relay.
Ivory Coast and Sri Lanka in the road map
International remains a major axis of growth. Ecocert is present in 36 countries via its subsidiaries and intervenes more widely in numerous production and consumption markets. Mature markets, such as Europe, the United States or Canada, concentrate a significant part of the demand for organic and sustainable products. Production areas, particularly in Asia, Africa or Latin America, also play a strategic role in the development of certified sectors.
The group plans to strengthen its presence in sectors such as caféthe thé and the cacao. New establishments are envisaged in Ivory Coast and at Sri Lanka. The first must meet the needs linked to cocoa, in one of the main producing countries in the world. The second is part of a logic of proximity with the tea sectors and with the expectations of local authorities.
These locations should allow Ecocert to remain as close as possible to producers, processors and international clients, in a context where the traceability of supply chains is becoming an economic, regulatory and strategic issue.
A strong anchor in Occitania
Despite its international development, Ecocert maintains a strong foothold in Occitanie. The group’s headquarters is located in Isle-Jourdain Since 1997. In 2026the company employs more than 350 employees on this Gers site and more than 80 Ã Toulouse. She plans 59 recruitments in Occitania et 150 nationallyconfirming its role as a structuring employer for the region.
This local presence is also reflected by investments in its buildings, including a positive energy site, as well as by the use of a network of local suppliers representing 41% of its partners. Ecocert thus claims a direct contribution to the regional economy, but also to the structuring of sustainable sectors.
In Gers and Haute-Garonne, the group supports 2 100 clients certifiéscovering the entire value chain, from production to distribution. It also works with collective catering, notably through the label “In the kitchen”which promotes establishments committed to an approach of transparency, quality and integration of certified organic foods. The device concerns today 350 establishments in Occitanie et 700 in Aquitaine.
The Parc de la Côme, territorial and environmental showcase
Beyond its economic activities, Ecocert highlights several local initiatives with environmental and social impact. THE Parc de la Cômelocated in L’Isle-Jourdain, constitutes one of the most visible examples of this approach. Deployed on nearly 4 hectaresthis collective project brings together collaborators and partners around market gardening, the preservation of biodiversity and food solidarity.
In 2024more than 2 tons of organic vegetables were distributed to the Gers Food Bank. The project also made it possible to raise awareness among more 1 000 élèves from local schools to eating well and organic farming. The work carried out by the employees involved in this initiative was rewarded in April by the foundation GoodPlanet.
Ecocert will also open its doors on June 6 in L’Isle-Jourdain as part of It was festivean event dedicated to ecological awareness and eating well, with a visit to the park, shows, discovery of professions, conferences, concert and organic market.
The group also supports agroforestry projects which have enabled the planting of more than 25,000 trees in France since 2019. A way to extend, on the ground, Ecocert’s historic commitment to more sustainable agricultural and economic practices.
Heading towards 2030
For the coming years, Ecocert has a clear ambition: to maintain average annual growth of 5 % in order to exceed the 150 million euros in turnover in 2030. This trajectory is based on several drivers: international development, diversification of expertise, digitalization, offers linked to sustainable packaging, verification of environmental claims and the rise of traceability requirements.
In a market where consumers demand more proof and where companies must secure their commitments, Ecocert intends to strengthen its role as a trusted third party. The Gers group is no longer limited to organic products, even if this remains its historical base. It now seeks to occupy a central place in the transformation of everyday products, at the intersection of certification, data, regulation and sustainability.
Since L’Isle-Jourdain, Ecocert has thus pursued a unique trajectory: that of a player born in organic agriculture, which has become international, and now positioned at the heart of major economic, environmental and societal transitions.
