About Us
For A More Organic Future
Bringing together all the key players in Canada’s organic industry to ensure excellent standards and regulations and the scientific research that stimulate the growth of Canada’s organic sector, which is good for the environment, the consumer, family farms and rural communities.
Canadian organic production is growing. Its benefits are economic and ecological: the yield of organic land is calculated on a per hectare basis as well as by the ecological benefits generated by an organic agriculture without synthetic pollutants.
With over 7,000 certified organic operators, the Canadian organic market is worth over $8.1 billion annually. The ecological benefits are invaluable and include maintaining biodiversity, carbon sequestration, river and air health, animal welfare, soil fertility, pollinator protection.
The Science of Organic Agriculture
Organic farming growth is supported by science: the Organic Science Clusters project, launched in 2009, has 91 organic research activities that are improving sustainable farming practices as prescribed by the Organic Standard. With a total budget of $31,000,000, research conducted at Canadian universities and AAFC research centers under the Organic Science Clusters has improved greenhouse production, field crop and horticultural production, pest control and organic livestock production.
The Organic Federation of Canada is a national organization responsible for the maintenance and interpretation of the Canadian Organic Standard and the administration of scientific research in organic agriculture in Canada.
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- The adoption of organic standards across Canada to promote sustainable and ecological agricultural practices;
- A coordinated, efficient and effective national regulation to support the growth of the industry;
- Industry-led scientific research with an impact on profitability, sustainability and competitiveness of organic production systems across Canada
- An increased consumer assurance of organic product authenticity and integrity;
- All the services needed to support organic operators and reconcile success with commitment to the principles of organic agriculture;
- Local and import-export trade of organic products on the Canadian market.
How we meet our objectives:
- We ensure the needs of all organic producers are heard and addressed;
- We ensure that the organic sector has full input into the revision of the Canada Organic Standards and that recurrent funding is provided to the organic sector to update the Canada Organic Standards on a regular basis;
- We support research in organic agriculture to boost yields, provide producers with ecological tools to control pests and increase biodiversity on Canadian farms;
- We cooperate with the Canada Organic Regime to resolve regulatory and standard issues and promote the industry’s needs;
- We share information and raise awareness to all stakeholders from government to consumer domestically and national.
Organic Practices
Management methods are carefully selected in order to restore and then sustain ecological stability within the operation and the surrounding environment. Soil fertility is maintained and enhanced by promoting optimal biological activity within the soil and conservation of soil resources.
Pests, including insects, weeds and diseases, are managed using biological and mechanical control methods, and cultural practices that include minimized tillage, crop selection and rotation, recycling of plant and animal residues, water management, augmentation of beneficial insects to encourage a balanced predator–prey relationship, the promotion of biological diversity and ecologically based pest management.
Extract from CAN/CGSB-32.310-2020, p. iii
Activities
The Federation:
- Manages the review of the Canadian Organic Standards to ensure that our national standards are developed according to international rules and keep pace with research and the resulting new practices;
- Cooperates with the Canada Organic Regime for the management of the Standards Interpretation Committee to provide interpretive guidance on issues related to the Canadian Organic Standards;
- Manages the Organic Science Cluster Program in cooperation with the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada;
- Develops projects to strengthen member organizations that represent the organic sector in each province and territory;
- Works in cooperation with all levels of government on the harmonization of rules, policy and support for organic agriculture and commerce.
Under Part 13 of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), products must be certified as organic according to the Canadian Organic Standards. The SFCR also outlines the organic certification system known as the Canada Organic Regime. The purpose of the Canada Organic Regime is to regulate all parties involved in the certification of organic products (including operators, Certification Bodies and Conformity Verification Bodies) and to verify all applicable regulatory requirements, standards and guidance documents are being met.