On March 9th and 10th, organic farmers from across Canada gathered in Ottawa with Canadian Organic Growers (COG) for two days of meetings with Members of Parliament, Senators, and federal officials – bringing a clear message: Canada has a major opportunity to expand domestic organic production and reduce reliance on imports while supporting increased exports.
Canada’s organic market is now worth over $10.5 billion annually, yet nearly 80% of organic products in Canada are imported. For many farmers, this represents a clear opportunity: with the right policy supports in place, Canadian producers can meet growing demand at home and abroad.
A key takeaway from COG’s Hill Days is that many Parliamentarians are only just beginning to hear from organic farmers — and the response was strong, with clear interest in both farmers’ experiences and the scale of opportunity the organic sector presents for Canada, including surprise at the extent to which organic demand is met through imports. This highlights the importance of continued farmer engagement. The Hill Days marked an important step in bringing organic agriculture further into the national policy conversation, and we are encouraged by the growing awareness and interest at the federal level.
Throughout COG’s Hill Days, farmers spoke directly with representatives from their regions, sharing their on-the-ground experience navigating economic and climate uncertainty, and outlining practical pathways to strengthen resilience and farm profitability. Farmers spoke to both the challenges they face today and the opportunities ahead, including growing domestic and global demand for organic products.
“It was so inspiring to meet with such a diverse group of passionate organic farmers in Ottawa for COG’s Hill Days. It is clear to me that Canadian farmers are ready to meet the growing demand for organic food,” said Corine Singfield of Winter Sun Farm in Bella Coola, BC, and President of COG’s Board of Directors. “With the right policy support in place, we can strengthen our farms and rural communities, and supply Canadians with high-quality food. There are many capacity gaps in the organic sector, and having the Organic Action Plan to clearly identify these gaps and outline ways to address them is a huge step forward.”
Discussions with Parliamentarians and officials at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada centred on recommendations from COG’s Organic Task Force report, Cultivating the Organic Opportunity for Canadian Farmers and Consumers, and the sector’s Organic Action Plan.
Farmers highlighted five priority actions to unlock growth in the agriculture sector:
- Permanent funding for the Canadian Organic Standards (COS): The COS underpin the industry and support organic trade equivalency arrangements with 35 countries. Unlike our trade competitors, Canada does not have a permanent funding mechanism for the mandatory five-year review process required to maintain the standards.
- A coordinated national organic data strategy: While significant data is already collected, it is not consistently published and accessible. Improving data access would support better decision-making by farmers, processors, and investors, and improve sector competitiveness.
- Addressing trade barriers and processing bottlenecks: Farmers highlighted the need for more certified organic processing capacity and improved interprovincial and international trade conditions to strengthen domestic supply chains and Canadian food sovereignty, while meeting growing opportunities in strategic regions including Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
- Reinstating organic and regenerative agriculture research: Participants joined farm groups across the sector in raising concerns about recent cutbacks to public agricultural research, including the Organic and Low-Input Research Program at the Swift Current Research and Development Centre. Reinvesting in this public research capacity is critical to advancing climate resilience, soil health, and innovation across Canadian agriculture.
- Invest in organic agriculture in the Next Policy Framework: A clear and coordinated strategy to reduce transition risk, strengthen proactive risk management, support research and innovation, scale independent extension, and build domestic supply chains and markets represents a major opportunity to enable Canadian farmers to meet growing demand at home and abroad.
Farmers also emphasized the need to establish a funding mechanism that is fair to all involved (producers, processors, markets) to enhance and grow organic production and markets.
In addition to many productive conversations on Parliament Hill, the event also created opportunities for connection. In the evenings, farmers and COG staff gathered to share meals, stories, and reflections — strengthening relationships and building a shared sense of purpose for the work ahead. In a country as vast as Canada, opportunities to connect in person and exchange across the rich diversity of our food and farming systems are especially meaningful.
We are deeply grateful to these amazing organic farmers for taking time away from the farm to participate in these important conversations. Their leadership and lived experience are essential to shaping policies that reflect the realities and potential of organic and regenerative agriculture in Canada.
As momentum continues to build, COG and our partners in the Canadian Organic Alliance (including the Canada Organic Trade Association and the Organic Federation of Canada) look forward to continuing to work with government and stakeholders to advance solutions that support farmers, strengthen domestic supply, and position Canada as a global leader in organic agriculture.