In June, 2024, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food released its report following a study on Issues Facing the Horticultural Sector.
We are pleased to see that the report, titled “Improving the Resilience of Canada’s Horticultural Sector,” includes several key recommendations aimed at supporting the growth of the organic sector. These recommendations recognize the role organic farming can play in enhancing the resilience of Canada’s horticultural and broader agricultural sector to the impacts of climate change, while also supporting the viability of small- and medium-sized farms.
Key recommendations include:
- Developing a policy framework for the organic sector to facilitate growth and competitiveness in the international marketplace.
- Prioritizing the signing of organic equivalency agreements with other countries.
- Addressing non-tariff barriers to international trade in organic products.
- Providing complete and permanent funding for the Canadian Organic Standards review every five years.
These recommendations reflect and directly cite testimony from COG Board Member and The New Farm owner-operator, Gillian Flies, alongside the Canada Organic Trade Association’s (COTA) Executive Director, Tia Loftsgard. COG, COTA, and the Organic Federation of Canada (OFC) also provided supplementary information to the committee.
In her testimony, Gillian highlighted how organic and regenerative farming have strengthened her farm’s resilience to climate change.
We look forward to the government’s response to the report, which will be shared here, and to working together to ensure these recommendations are implemented.
Interested in learning more? Become a COG member to stay informed about our policy and advocacy work: https://cog.ca/become-a-member/