Organic Research Data

With thanks to the Prairie Organic

Development Fund (PODF)
Organic Integrity for the Industry

• Contamination Task Force

• Standards development and improvements
• Fraud prevention
• Work in collaboration with certification bodies
for data needs
• Watchdog on trade agreements
• Eliminate regulatory hurdles and improve
relations with all market access stakeholders
 What shoppers think about when
they see the Canada Organic logo

66% of Canadians purchase

at least one
organic product
per week
Within the Scope of SFCR

Grains & Field Egg & Egg

Dairy Products Honey Processed Fruits & Crops Products
Vegetables

Non-federally Registered
Foods Horticultural
Maple Products
Products

9
Fresh Fruits &
Poultry & Meat Livestock Feeds Seeds
Vegetables
Currently outside of SFCR scope

Textiles Cosmetics Marijuana Plants

Fertilizers Natural Health

Pet Food
Products
31
About the Report
• Seventh year of publication

• Data are from 2020

• Commissioned by the Prairie Organic Development Fund

• Prepared by Laura Telford, Manitoba Agriculture and the

Canada Organic Trade Association

• Snapshot of the health of the organic sector in the Canadian

Prairie
Methodology

• Certification bodies voluntarily supply data to COTA

• Data treated confidentially

• Results are released in an aggregated format

• Best estimate using the data provided as not all certifiers

participate
Key Findings

• Certified organic operations declined in 2020 below 2019

numbers, primarily due to losses in the organic handling sector

• The number of crop producers remained unchanged from

2019

• The largest loss of operators and acreage occurred in

Manitoba
Key Findings

• Despite no real increases in producer numbers, organic acreage

expanded by 161,719 acres to 1,884,509 acres in 2020 while
the Prairie share of national organic acreage declined from 50%
to 45%

• Cereals and oilseeds demonstrated the greatest gains in

acreage over 2019 with 20% and 18% growth, respectively.
Wild harvested crops – most notably wild rice, reported the
biggest loss of acreage with a 27% year-over-year reduction.
Key Findings

• Livestock production was relatively flat with seven fewer mixed

organic operations in 2020 while actual livestock numbers
increased from 2019.

• The number of Prairie organic handlers dropped precipitously

from 292 to 265, a 10% drop over 2019
 Download Your
Free Report

• Prairie Organic Development

Fund (PODF) website

• Canada Organic Trade

Association’s (COTA) Shopify
Site
Alberta showed growth in all categories

o Organic producer numbers increased by 6%

o Organic livestock operations increased by 4%
o Organic handlers increased by 3%
o Total organic operations increased by 4% over 2019

47
 48

Analyzes and tracks the existing

organic regulations, policies and
programming within the federal,
provincial and territorial (FPT)
governments.

Builds off benchmark data

from 2017-2019

Recommends key areas that

different levels of government can
adopt to support the growth of
organic in Canada.
Helps producers cover the
costs of organic
certification.

Adding acreage or livestock.

https://canada-
organic.ca/en/what-we-
do/market-access/Organic-
Transition-Program
 Lobby MPs

Parliamentary
Reception
Let your
organic voice
be heard!
Regulatory Affairs and Government
Relations
Knowledge GE
Glyphosate MRL Networking
Transfer
Strengthening Organic Enforcement (Fraud)
Equivalency agreements
Connections/
Events Coordination
Sustainable Agriculture Strategy
Organic Action Plan
Government consultations
Sector Engagement Tables
IFOAM (global organic movement)
Organic-focused working groups
(contamination, integrity)
Issues-specific

52
Fighting against the
proposed changes to the
guidance documents of the
Seed and Feed Acts.

Proposed changes would

remove the mandatory
health and safety
assessments for most
genetically engineered seeds
and feeds introduced to
Canada.
 Pesticide Maximum
Residue Levels (MRLs)
must remain in check.

MRLs Canada Organic Standards

pesticide residue is tied to

Advocacy the conventional standard.

COTA along with other

advocates is advocating to
retain the current MRLs.
Consumer Awareness and Education
Next generation of organic advocates
Broadening our reach into food service
Retailer Program & Public
Trust Building with
Consumers
Defend Organic

Canada Organic
Action Plan

Organic Campus
Champions of Organic

“We need… to ensure the long-term

sustainability and growth of the organic
sector and by being a member of COTA,
we do our part in contributing to this
cause.”

Nima Fotovat, President

Riverside Natural Foods
COTA Board Member
Connect for more information…

Kim De Lallo
Member Relations & Business
Development Manager

kdelallo@canada-organic.ca
613 482 1717 x204