Canada's organic trade now worth billions, research reveals Monday, April 15, 2013 by SUSAN MANN Fifty-eight per cent of Canadian consumers are buying organic products every week, reveals new research from the Canada Organic Trade Association. This diverse consumer base is helping to drive the phenomenal growth in the organic market that grew to $3.7 billion last year, the research further indicates. Initial results from the association’s organic market research program were released April 11, and indicate the value of the organic market has tripled since 2006, far outpacing the growth rate of other agri-food sectors. Shauna MacKinnon, association projects and development manager, says they don’t have numbers for Ontario yet as the first phase of the research focused on British Columbia and Canada as a whole. In September, the association plans to release a more detailed national report containing provincial numbers. But MacKinnon says based on analysis she has done so far Ontario “is one of the engines of growth because the market there is large.” Even though Ontario doesn’t have as high a market share for organics as British Columbia, it’s definitely catching up, she says. The research is the first data on the organic market since the Canadian government introduced national organic certification regulations in 2009. In provinces that had provincial organic certification programs, such as British Columbia and Quebec, the consumer market is further developed and more consumers are buying organic products. “There’s stronger support of organics,” MacKinnon says. But now with the national organic certification program that’s been in place for almost four years, provinces that previously didn’t have their own certification program, such as Ontario and Alberta, are catching up to ones that did. BF Ontario farm values vault to new heights Young farmers launch social media campaign
Chinese Tariffs Are Squeezing Canadian Grain and Oilseeds Friday, March 14, 2025 By Aleah Harle, Farms.com Risk Management Intern On March 8, 2025, China announced steep retaliatory tariffs on $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural products in response to Canada’s October tariffs of 100% on Chinese EVs, and 25% on steel, and aluminum. These newly... Read this article online
Canada proactively purchases 500,000 doses of a human vaccine against bird flu Friday, March 14, 2025 By Liam Nolan Canada’s agricultural industry continues to monitor the spread of Avian Influenza (AI). The H5N1 HPAI was first reported in Canada in December 2021, below is an update on recent developments. Avian influenza, or bird flu, continues to impact poultry farms... Read this article online
Farmer Planting Decisions for 2025 Taking Shape Thursday, March 13, 2025 As farmers across Canada prepare for the 2025 crop year, Statistics Canada says their planting decisions reflect a complex mix of factors including moisture conditions, crop rotation considerations, and market prices. Nationally, farmers are expected to plant more wheat, corn for... Read this article online
Grain Growers of Sounding the Alarm Over U.S. Tariffs Monday, March 10, 2025 Not surprisingly, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is raising concerns over the United States' decision to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian grain and grain products, a move that could jeopardize the livelihoods of family-run grain farms and lead to higher food prices for American... Read this article online
International Women’s Day – Angela Cammaert Wednesday, March 5, 2025 As International Women’s Day approaches on March 8, Farms.com is asking women in ag about what they’d tell their younger selves about being a farmer, to give a piece of advice to young women entering the ag sector, and to highlight a woman in agriculture they consider a mentor or... Read this article online