OTTAWA, Sept. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With a booming $8.138 billion in annual sales, Canada is the sixth largest organic market in the world. Yet, despite double digit production growth, demand continuously outpaces supply in Canada. Two thirds of Canadians purchase organic products weekly, and organic is the fastest growing part of the Canadian agriculture landscape. As a response to mounting domestic and international demand, the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) launched the Organic Conversion Support Program in 2019, through the Support Organic Change Fund, to support farms and livestock producers as they convert their operations to certified organic to meet this global demand. The program is privately funded by sponsors Seeds of Change and Mill Street Brewery.
The program assists present and future organic producers financially with their added costs incurred while transitioning to organic farming by reimbursing for certification costs up to $1,000. 8483 acres were converted through the assistance of the program over the past two years assisting 94 producers nationally. The Support Organic Change Fund is working hand in hand to meet the demand for more organic products by leveraging and incentivizing farmers to make the switch.
With over 5900 farmers already converted to organic in Canada, farmers can testify that the benefits of organic outweigh the work and initial expense. Yet converting to organic is no small feat for a farm and it takes three years to complete the detoxification of the soil from prohibited substances. Organic does pay a higher premium to acknowledge that production requires a significant dedication of time and resources to adopt new techniques such as cover cropping, crop rotation, and using labour and natural techniques to deal with weeds and pests. Year after year, farmers make the decision to join the organic movement and invest in a climate-friendly future for the next generation. Since 2019, program participation numbers have increased steadily by 79%. The most funded producers by province are Quebec with 60, British Columbia with 12, the Prairies with 7, the Maritimes with 4, and Ontario with 3. The program assisted producers growing the following products during the 2020 program: vegetables at 34%, fruit at 34%, field crops at 20%, livestock at 14%, and maple at 3%.
“Producers deserve a hand up to motivate them to choose organic and not face the up-front costs all by themselves,” said Tia Loftsgard, executive director of the Canada Organic Trade Association. “Other countries have a fully funded organic transition program by their federal government and our goal is to show the Government of Canada that you can easily motivate more farmers to adopt best management practices to help mitigate climate change by assisting during their transition phase. We hope that Agriculture Canada takes note of the success of this program and adopts a nationally funded program.”
In a year that has seen difficulties throughout the organic supply chain, the Organic Conversion Support Program has proven to be key in supporting and growing the organic supply chain at its most fundamental level. The program covered 64.18% of the total certification costs for producers and is building capacity and resiliency within Canada’s organic systems to ensure a better future for all.
COTA is thrilled to announce that the program will be continuing into its third year with the proud support of industry sponsors. The Organic Conversion Support Program is accepting applications for the 2021 program which will be accepted until June 30th, 2022. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis for producers who are in the process of converting, or who become certified in 2021 or 2022. To qualify for the program, farmers must be in their pre-certification phase, or increasing their acreage on an already certified farm (or adding livestock operations). The program covers organic certification and consultation expenses, up to a maximum reimbursement of $1,000 with proof of paperwork.
Want to learn more about the Organic Conversion program guidelines? Find more information about the program here:
http://www.canada-organic.ca/sites/default/files/2021_fund_overview_guidelines_eng_v2.pdf
Know a farmer who might want to apply? Get in touch with Caroline Bernard, Member Relations and Executive Coordinator at cbernard@canada-organic.ca or 613-482-1717 ext. 205.
About the Canada Organic Trade Association
The Canada Organic Trade Association is a 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. COTA’s mission is to promotes and protect the organic sector and encourages the universal adoption of organic. Through our leadership and collaboration, COTA provides a strong voice for organic in Canada. COTA's vision is to promote and protect thriving, resilient communities and ecosystems that are rooted in organic's holistic principles and practices. With farming as the foundation of organic, COTA acts a cultivator, connector and advocate for organic in Canada and abroad. www.canada-organic.ca
Media contacts:
Tia Loftsgard, Executive Director, Canada Organic Trade Association, cellular 613-852-4691, tloftsgard@canada-organic.ca
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