COTA reacts to government funding announcement for organic sector

The Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) is delighted that government and industry are successfully collaborating to meet the 2020 deadline for updating the Canadian Organic Standards, and that government is investing $8.3 million towards organic agriculture research.

“As the fastest-growing sector in Canadian agriculture, we have a keen interest in ensuring that Canada’s Organic Standards are updated to reflect the latest trends, research and innovations within the organic growing and processing industries,” said Tia Loftsgard, COTA’s executive director. “We are thrilled by Minister MacAulay’s announcement of government funding of $292,555 towards updating the Canadian Organic Standards, and are very pleased by the support for organic science research.”

“With the government’s target of $75 billion in agricultural exports by 2025, it is crucial that booming sectors like organic be provided with equal opportunities to thrive in the global marketplace,” said Dag Falck, COTA’s board president. “We are pleased to see government recognition and the need to step up to support and build on the impressive momentum of Canadian organics, keeping our sector competitive with our largest trading partners.

“We are grateful for the government’s ongoing support, and we look forward to our joint work aimed at strengthening the integrity and growth of the organic sector in Canada,” concluded Falck.