On January 26, Canada\u2019s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, announced support for the growth of Canada\u2019s organic sector. Specifically, the Government of Canada will provide the Canadian General Standards Board the necessary funds to cover costs associated with the 2020 Canadian Organic Standards (COS) review.<\/p>\n
In late 2017, CHC submitted a letter of support for this funding, and we are pleased to hear of the government\u2019s announcement, which is a big step in the right direction.<\/p>\n
CHC, along with the Organic Federation of Canada and a coalition of the Canadian organic industry, continues to request federal government funds for the additional costs of industry consultations, which is an essential part of the COS review.<\/p>\n
Investment is necessary by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, if the industry is going to be well positioned to contribute to our government\u2019s ambitious goal of reaching $75 billion in annual agri-food exports by 2025. The COS must be prioritized so Canada can expand organic production, facilitate and enforce provincial organic regulations intra-provincial trade in a growing number of provinces, and maintain equivalency agreements with our international trading partners, and export certified organic products worldwide.<\/p>\n