Canada Organic Trade Association welcomes government funding for organic sector

According to the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA), the Canadian government is investing $8.3 million in organic agriculture research. The COTA further stated that industry and government are successfully working together in order to meet the 2020 deadline for the update of Canada’s Organic Standards.

Tia Loftsgard, executive director of COTA stated: “As the fastest-growing sector in Canadian agriculture, we have a keen interest in ensuring that Canada’s Organic Standards are updated to reflect the latest trends, research and innovations within the organic growing and processing industries.” She further commented: “We are thrilled by Minister MacAulay’s announcement of government funding of $292,555 towards updating the Canadian Organic Standards, and are very pleased by the support for organic science research.”

“With the government’s target of $75 billion in agricultural exports by 2025, it is crucial that booming sectors like organic be provided with equal opportunities to thrive in the global marketplace,” explained COTA’s board president Dag Falck. “We are pleased to see government recognition and the need to step up to support and build on the impressive momentum of Canadian organics, keeping our sector competitive with our largest trading partners.

Background

The Canada Organic Trade Association is the membership-based association for the organic industry in Canada: representing growers, processors, certifiers, provincial farmers’ associations, importers, exporters, retailers and others throughout the organic value chain. The association aims at promoting and protecting the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy.