56 Organic Feature | Promotional Supplement December 2023 ORGANIC FEATURE The Manitoba-based creators of a new online tool aimed at bringing clarity to the marketing of organic grains in Canada promise to “significantly lighten the load of finding trusted grain buyers that are certified organic.” Key buyers of organic grains in southwestern Ontario who signed on as supporters of the project, stress that it will take commitments from both growers and other organic sector stakeholders to make the Organic Grain Hub successful. The Hub was launched on Sept. 21 after being developed through a partnership between the Manitoba Organic Alliance and Winnipeg-based digital media designer Tactica Interactive. It’s located at organicgrainhub.com, and organic buyers and sellers will be able to find out more when the upcoming 2024 Guelph Organic Conference hosts a “business-to-business” session about the Hub at the University of Guelph in late January. With a diverse range of workshops, expert speakers, and networking opportunities, this conference aims to foster both innovation and collaboration within Canada’s organic sector. “Right now, organic grain producers in Canada have few resources to help them navigate the local and international marketplaces,” explained the Hub’s Director of Business Development, Marie-Eve Levert, at the launch. “There is a pricing information vacuum, no central directory of organic grain buyers, and a lack of in-depth market analysis that is specifically tailored to the sector.” Andrew St. Jean, organic manager for Lambton Shores-area grain dealer Beechwood Agri Services, agrees that “price discovery” is the biggest challenge facing producers in Ontario. “I hear from growers on pretty much a daily basis that they don’t know how to find prices,” St. Jean said in a recent interview. “There’s no great place like the CBOT BRINGING CLARITY TO CANADA’S ORGANIC GRAINS WITH THE ORGANIC GRAIN HUB By Stew Slater, Lead Through Change at Ann Slater, Fresh Organic Vegetables
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