Organic Agriculture

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Canadian Organic Growers (COG) our nature is
organic
Organic Agriculture In Canada
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Canadian Organic Growers (COG)our nature is
organic www.cog.ca

• COG is a not for profit charitable organization
  with 15 chapters across the country and two
  affiliated regional organic organizations
• Funding comes from members, governments,
  foundations and publications sales
• COGs mandate is to lead local and national
  communities towards sustainable organic
  stewardship of land, food and fibre while
  respecting nature, upholding social justice and
  protecting natural resources.

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Organic What it is

• Organic agriculture is a holistic production
  system designed to optimize productivity and
  encourage diversity in the agro-ecosystem,
  including soil microorganisms, plants and animals
• The principal goal of organic production is to
  develop enterprises that are sustainable and
  harmonious with the environment

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Organic What it isnt

• No synthetic chemicals including pesticides,
  fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics
• No genetically-modified organisms (GMOs)
• No irradiation
• No sewage sludge
• No synthetic processing substances, aids and
  ingredients, and food additives including
  sulphates, nitrates and nitrites

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Number of certified organic producers in Canada
Source Certified Organic Production reports
1992-2005, Anne Macey for Canadian Organic
Growers
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Organic producers by region
Source Certified Organic Production in Canada
2005, Anne Macey for Canadian Organic Growers
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Number of acres in organic production
Source Certified Organic Production in Canada
2005, Anne Macey for Canadian Organic Growers
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Type of Production by province
AB
BC
SK
QC
ON
MB
Atlantic Canada
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Number of certified organic processors and
handlers
Source Certified Organic Production in Canada
2005, Anne Macey for Canadian Organic Growers
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Organic Sales in Canada

• Source Retail Sales of Certified Organic Food
  Products in Canada, May 2007, data collected by
  The Nielson Company and compiled by Anne Macey
  for the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada
• Total Canadian retail sales of organic products
  through all market channels was 1 billion in
  2006 (412 million through retail channels,
  representing close to 1 of total retail food
  sales)
• Retail sales expanded by 28 from 2005 to 2006
• British Columbia residents purchased 26 of the
  organic food sold at retail in 2006
• AB showed the largest annual growth in retail
  sales, with a 44 increase, followed by BC and
  the Maritimes (34), ON (24) and QC (21)

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Sales of Organic Food Categories
Source Retail Sales of Certified Organic Food
Products in Canada, May 2007, data collected by
The Nielson Company and compiled by Anne Macey
for the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada
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Rate of growth by category
Source Retail Sales of Certified Organic Food
Products in Canada, May 2007, data collected by
The Nielson Company and compiled by Anne Macey
for the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada
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Imported vs. domestic

• Source Retail Sales of Certified Organic Food
  Products in Canada, May 2007, data collected by
  The Nielson Company and compiled by Anne Macey
  for the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada
• Of the 2676 food items examined by Nielson, 47
  were labelled as grown, packaged or processed in
  Canada and 51 were imported (2 were unknown)
• There were some notable exceptions to this
  pattern 100 of milk and bread was domestic,
  followed by yogurt, cheese, jams and jellies,
  flour and tofu

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Drivers for increased organic sales
Source Snapshot Organics, AB government 2001

• Higher input costs
• Low prices for conventional commodities
• Increased consumer emphasis on health and
  nutrition
• Consumer concerns about food safety,
  environmental protection, GMOs
• Entry of mainstream food marketers such as
  General Mills, Heinz, Kellogs and McDonalds

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Risk mitigation in organic systemsFood safety
and health

• Organic food production and processing must
  comply with all existing legislation
• Organic agriculture is based on the precautionary
  principal. It has an unparalleled traceability
  system and a limited list of permitted substances
• The absence of pesticides means reduced health
  risks for farm workers and their children. Risks
  such as cancer and even death have been related
  to chronic and acute pesticide exposure.
• Prohibition against GMOs, irradiation, and
  chemical pesticides positions organics as the
  safer option in the eyes of consumers
• Since antibiotics are banned, except as a last
  resort, organic agriculture has a lower risk of
  contributing to antibiotic resistance

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Environmental benefits of organic farming
systems

• Ban on the use of synthetic fertilizers means
  that organic agriculture contributes less to
  eutrophication of water sources
• The ban on chemical pesticides reduces water
  pollution and the risk to soil and other wildlife
• Research shows that farms managed organically
  support a greater diversity and volume of
  biodiversity
• Organic systems foster soil building, development
  of soil microfauna and decrease soil loss
• Organic systems use energy more efficiently
• Greater use of cover crops in organic systems
  means organic farms collect 1.8 times the solar
  energy of conventional farms and protect against
  soil erosion and water runoff

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Agronomic benefits of organic farming systems

• Organically managed soils can better handle both
  drought and flooding due to improved soil
  structure and organic matter
• The diversified cropping systems found in organic
  agriculture can help prevent outbreaks of pests
  and disease
• Non-reliance on chemical methods of insect
  control protect the organic farmer from pesticide
  resistance
• The use of compost in organic systems increases
  soil microbe abundance and diversity and can
  result in decreased plant disease
• A long term study by the Rodale institute showed
  that organically managed soils can have higher
  soil nitrogen levels than conventionally managed
  soils (47 vs. 17).

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Financial benefits of organic farming systems

• Input costs for organic agriculture are
  significantly lower, though for some commodities
  such as vegetable production, labour costs can be
  higher
• Organic agriculture commands a price premium that
  is dependent on commodity and sales channel
• The diverse crop rotations used by organic
  farmers can reduce financial risk and reduce the
  variability of farm income from year to year
• Improved organic matter and microbial activity
  mean improved yields and crop quality (compared
  to conventional) during poor weather years

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Cost of Production
Source Leopold Center for Sustainable
Agriculture in IOWA
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Organic Products Regulations

• Following a cost-benefit analysis and extensive
  consultations with the sector, the federal
  government passed a regulation in 2006, which
  will come into force in December 2008.
• The regulation applies to organic products that
  cross interprovincial and international
  boundaries. Provincial governments are
  responsible for regulating food sold within a
  province. BC and QC are currently the only
  provinces with their own regulations.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is the
  competent authority in charge of establishing
  accreditation bodies. These agencies will
  accredit certification bodies to certify farms
  and processing facilities.
• Certified organic agricultural products
  containing gt95 certified organic ingredients can
  carry the Canada Organic logo.

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Canada Organic Logo
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The Organic Standard

• The Canadian Organic Standard was developed by
  the industry through a Canadian General Standards
  Board process in1999.
• The Organic Standard is a strict code of
  practices which governs organic farming
• Certifying bodies hire trained third party
  inspectors to verify that farms and processing
  facilities are following the standard

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Organic Certification

• 25 Organic Certification Agencies accredited by
  4 internationally recognized third party
  accreditors
• All require an Organic Farm Plan based on the
  Precautionary Principle (exclusion of worst known
  toxins)
• The Organic Farm Plan is a Systems approach to
  preventative measures

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References

• Hole, D.G., Perkins, A.J., Alexander, I.H.,
  Grice, P.V. and Evans, A.D. (2004) Does organic
  farming benefit biodiversity? Biological
  Conservation, 122, 113-130
• David Pimentel, Cornell University. Impacts of
  organic farming on the efficiency of energy use
  in agriculture. An Organic Center State of
  Science Review, 2006
• The Nielsen Company, May 2007, More than half of
  Canadian households purchased organics in 2006.
  Nielsen discovers heightened consumer awareness
  and increased demand towards organic foods.
  http//ca.acnielsen.com/news/20070514.shtml
• Canadian Organic Growers Organic Production
  Statistics 2005
• Glenlea Study, Canadas oldest organic-conventiona
  l comparative cropping study www.umanitoba.ca/afs/
  plant_science/glenlea/glenlearesresults.html