Certified Biostimulant Program

A voluntary certification program that certifies biostimulant products conform to United States Biostimulant Industry Recommended Guidelines to Support Efficacy, Composition, and Safety of Plant Biostimulant Products. The program provides a consistent framework for reporting a minimal dataset on safety, composition, and efficacy tests.

Geographic Scope: United States

Focus Areas: Plant biostimulant product certification; validation of efficacy testing methods, composition, and safety claims

Eligibility:

• Manufacturers of plant biostimulant products
• TFI members and non-members eligible
• Products must meet United States Biostimulant Industry Guidelines

Benefits:

• For Manufacturers: Demonstrates conformance with fair and equitable voluntary standards; shows products meet efficacy, composition, and safety attributes
• For Ag Retailers: Enables confident product assessment for shelf space; assists in selection of products for independent field trials; supports grower recommendations
• For Growers: Allows informed decisions based on recognized industry program

Certification Details:

• Certification ID with 6-year expiration date
• Biennial attestations required on product claims and formulation changes
• Certified products listed on TFI web portal with company name, website, product name, category, sales contact info, label, claims, SDS, and efficacy workbook
• Expired certified products removed from web portal

What is Certified: The program certifies that information to support label claims conforms to guidelines; assures existence of data without disclosing results; certifies proper experimental protocols used without asserting efficacy claims

Application Process

Step 1: Prepare Required Documents

Efficacy Testing Methods:

• Option A - Peer-reviewed literature: Published Research Table (Attachment 2)
  • Published literature must demonstrate randomized and replicated trials with appropriate controls and proper statistical analysis per U.S. Standard
  • Missing information requires additional submission
• Option B - Original/internal research: Written Research Report (Attachment 3)
  • Must include materials, methods, results, and discussion details
  • Include data tables and figures

Composition:

• Beneficial Substances Label (Attachments 4 & 6)
• Conformance Testing Report (Attachment 5)
• Methods for identification of guaranteed substance (must be recognized method)
• Identify and list all beneficial substances with ingredient source
• Support product composition with guaranteed substances, minimum amounts, and identification methods
• Demonstrate absence of contaminants (heavy metals, microbial pathogens, other microbial contaminants)

Safety:

• Safety Data Sheet
• Statement for the Presumption of Safety (Attachments 7 & 8)
• Certificate of Analysis documenting absence of harmful contaminants
• Report safety risks for extracts, acids, minerals, substances, or living microorganisms

Step 2: Complete Online Application

1. Fill out personalized application request form (name, email, company, product name)
2. Receive personalized link for Certified Biostimulant application
3. Follow application prompts and upload prepared documents from Step 1
4. Application contains five sections:
   • General Information
   • Efficacy Testing Methods
   • Composition
   • Safety
   • Confidential Statement and Attestation
5. Review application questions (Attachment 9)
6. Online application ensures all necessary elements and documents included

Step 3: Submit Payment

• Submit application fee to accompany application
• Application considered "submitted" when both application and payment received
• Application fee payment available online

Step 4: Conformance Review

• Application reviewed by independent experts

Step 5: Certification Award

• Certification approval and issuance

Ongoing Requirements:

• Biennial attestations on product claims and formulation changes (every 2 years)
• Modifications to product active ingredients constitute formulation change
• Product changes require new application and full application fee (not renewal fee)
• Reported changes suspend current certification until new application approved

Resources Provided:

• United States Biostimulant Industry Recommended Guidelines
• Published Research Table template
• Guidelines for Written Research Report
• Example of Beneficial Substances Label
• Sample Conformance Testing Report
• Safety Assessment Decision Tree
• Sample Statement of Rationale for Presumption of Safety
• Copy of Online Application Questionnaire
• Application Overview video
• FAQ document