New organic certification rules provoke uneasy response

Monday, February 23, 2009

© AgMedia Inc.

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

You’d think farmers using organic practices would be rooting for them.

But even their national organization admits some organic farmers are uncomfortable with the pending introduction of national organic certification of their practice. The proposed new regulations, slated to take effect June 30, were posted for public comment on Canada Gazette earlier this month.

On the plus side, national certification will help farmers adopting organic practice make more money, says Laura Telford, executive director of the Canadian Organic Growers. “There’s a big organic premium that ranges anywhere from 25 per cent for fruits and vegetables to up to 200 per cent for meat.”

A new “Canada Organic” logo being developed as part of proposed federal rules is also expected to grow consumer demand for organics and boost farmers’s sales, she says. The new rules will increase consumer confidence while the new logo will increase the number of consumers looking for organic products, she adds.

But some growers doubt that a national certification program will help their business. Meaford-area organic farmer Terry Chappelle is a case in point. Chappelle, who says he employs organic practices but isn’t certified, already sells most of his produce through a local farmers’ market and to area chefs.

Obtaining formal certification would mean more paperwork and red tape. “It’s just a lot of work,” he says.

Telford confirms most organic farms aren’t certified. She says reasons why farmers’ haven’t taken this step include the costs associated with certification and already-established relationships with buyers who don’t require certification.

The lack of legal impetus hasn’t helped encourage certification either but the new regulations may change that, she says.

Currently, farmers can use the word "organic" on their packaging and signs and not be certified. Even under the new rules, farmers selling locally and not using the Canada Organic label won’t have to obtain certification. But if they claim organic production in writing, they’ll have to be able to prove it, Telford warns. Moreover, farmers who export their products or want to use the new label must be certified. 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will enforce the rules, which empower the Agency to investigate organic claims and impose fines.

Telford says many of the Canadian Organic Growers farmer members are uneasy about the new rules especially small-scale producers. “They feel it’s going to increase their costs but not necessarily increase their benefit,” she says. “I think the organic sector has managed to convince them to not actively lobby against it because overall this will be good for them.”

She says the organic sector has pushed for new regulations for about five years. Concerns about the potential for fraud are a main motivation. It’s not a problem now but as the sector grows it could be.

Canada’s trading partners, particularly the European Union, have also encouraged the federal government to harmonize its rules with them, she notes.

Canadian Organic Growers, the Organic Trade Association and the International Organic Inspectors Association will offer training sessions on the new rules for farmers, processors and certifiers. In Ontario, seven sessions are scheduled for farmers.

The Organic Trade Association says Canada’s organic food market has estimated annual sales of $2 billion and has grown 20 per cent annually for many years. BF