Thank you to all who helped to make this 10th celebration of organic production on PEI a success. It was a great night of good food, entertainment and fellowship. 
Canadian Organic Standards Review – Working Groups back to work!
The review of the Canadian Organic Standards will be launched soon. This review is a very important activity for the Canadian sector as the standard is referenced by the Canadian Organic Products Regulations. More importantly, it defines the principles and accepted practices for organic production and guides the daily work of Canadian certified operators.
Because of funding cycles the whole review will have to be completed inside a two-year time frame; so time is precious and the sector has to start organizing itself. The Working Groups responsible for analyzing requests for amendments made by the sector are now being re-activated in order to launch the discussions about requests for amendments.
Are you interested in continuing your participation on a COS Review Working Group, or are you interested in applying to join a WG?
If yes, please contact the OFC, at info [at] organicfederation [dot] ca , 514-488-6192.
The basic Work Groups are:
- 32.310 Organic Standard: Crop WG, Livestock WG, and Processing WG
- 32.311 Permitted Substances List: PSL Crop WG, PSL Livestock WG, and PSL Processing WG
Organic related skills and expertise wanted:
- Organic farming or processing
- Materials/Chemical substances
- Veterinary medicine/nutrition and supplements
- Apiary
- Environmental
- Animal welfare
Participation in Working Groups is voluntary and not paid; the WG meetings are held by toll-free teleconference.
Time commitment: Up to one 2hour call every second week, depending on need.
The Chairs of the WGs will coordinate the work and agenda of the meetings and CGSB will provide secretarial assistance. Working Group Chairs selection will be finalized for each WG once funding is secured. Payment of honorarium for WG Chairs is currently depending on the approval of an OFC application for funding under an AAFC program.
You don’t have to be a member of the Technical Committee (CGSB Committee on Organic Agriculture) to participate to the WG meetings. The CGSB is responsible for re-establishing the Technical Committee and will do so once the review workplan will be finalized.
Do not hesitate to contact OFC if you need additional information! Your participation in the COS review is important!
514-488-6192
Manitoba proclaims Organic Agricultural Products Act
On May 4, 2013, Manitoba proclaimed the Organic Agricultural Products Act (OAPA), making Manitoba the first province to pass a provincial organic law since the federal Organic Products Regulations (OPR) were passed in June 2009. Manitoba is now the third province with a provincial law that defines and controls the use of the word “organic” within the provincial context (both British Columbia and Quebec have laws that predate the OPR) and it is the first province to pass a law that “mirrors” the federal OPR. Manitoba has adopted the federal definition of “organic”, references the same standards (CAN/CGSB-32.310 and CAN/CGSB-32.311) and will rely on the same system of federally-accredited Certification Bodies to ensure that organic operators comply with organic standards. As in the federal system, Manitoba’s approach to enforcement will be complaint-based.
The OAPA and its regulations will come into force on July 1, 2013 and will apply to all food products grown or processed and sold in Manitoba that make an organic claim. The OAPA mirrors the federal OPR and provides additional oversight over retailers that sell organic food. The new law will require all farmers and food processors that make organic food claims to be inspected annually by a federally accredited Certification Body. Certified operators in Manitoba will be able to use the federal organic logo on food products containing more than 95% organic ingredients. The law does not require businesses that sell organic food to be certified unless they perform additional processing in-store or in their distribution centres, but they must maintain the integrity of organic food products by developing and following standard operating procedures to segregate organic and conventional food products and maintain appropriate records to demonstrate that organic integrity is preserved throughout their chain of custody.
The OAPA and its regulations will close the provincial gap in the national network of laws governing use of the word “organic” in Manitoba and will provide assurance to Manitoba consumers that all food promoted as “organic” is subject to the same regulatory requirements no matter where it is produced.