Organic Research and Statistics

Organic Statistics

The Canada Organic Trade Association puts together comprehensive reports on Canada’s organic market examining both producers and consumers. Their 2017 consumer report provides a series of statistical insights into organic consumer behaviour and preferences as well as trade and sales growth. Their 2017 producer report offers numbers and statistics pertaining to producers, processors, retailers, and acreage.

In Canada, the total organic market is estimated $5.4 billion (up from $3.5 billion in 2012)
Canada’s top weekly organic buyers of 2017:
- Millennials – 83%
- University Graduates – 78%
- Albertans – 74%
- Families – 72%
- Men – 67%

$4.4 billion = size of the organic food and beverage market
66% = the percent of Canadian shoppers who are purchasing organic items weekly.
41% = the percent of Canadians who are very or somewhat familiar with the Canada Organic logo
48% = the percent of Canadians who rate the Canada Organic logo as trustworthy
$637 million = the value of Canadian organic imports in 2016
$607 million = the value of Canadian organic exports expected by year end 2017

Canada had over 5, 000 organic operations as of 2015 including 4, 045 primary producers, 618 livestock operations, and 1,542 processors, manufacturers, and retailers.
Following a recession dip, the number of Canadian certified organic producers surpassed the 2009 peak for the first time in 2015.
Quebec and British Columbia had the largest amount of farmers transitioning to organic, and the Atlantic provinces had the largest increase in transitions between 2014 and 2015.
Organic acreage in Canada increased from 70, 000 to 2.43 million acres between 2014 and 2015.
The Atlantic provinces saw the greatest increase in organic acreage between 2014 and 2015 with the addition of 10, 000 acres while Saskatchewan holds the largest share of Canada’s organic acreage at about 37%.
Field crops and pasture & forage crops remain the largest share of organic acreage while fruits & nuts saw a 50% increase and vegetable & root crops tripled between 2014 and 2015.
Organic imports to Canada increased by 37% between 2012 and 2015.

Organic Research

Some resources for organic research in Canada

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada:

The Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) is a national organization, based at the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus in Truro, Nova Scotia. Founded in 2001, OACC aims to serve Canada’s organic sector through science and education.

Organic Science Canada:

The Organic Federation of Canada and the Organic Agriculture Center of Canada are happy to present Organic Science Canada, a magazine that describes in everyday language the 37 research activities performed under the Organic Science Cluster II.

Organics Value-Chain Round Table:

The Organics Value Chain Roundtable builds a shared understanding of the Canadian organic sector’s competitive position and creates consensus on how to improve its performance and profitability. Members represent multiple commodities and a wide cross section of the Canadian organic value chain including producers, processors, distributors, retailers, food service and exporters, as well as provincial and federal government representatives.

Canadian Organic Trade Association:

COTA’s research program works to provide in-depth background information and analysis on various segments of the Canadian organic sector. COTA collects data on organic acreage and on the number of organic producers in the country, while collaborating with industry leaders on an ad hoc basis to assess critical organic issues and respond to the sector’s priorities.

Some resources for organic research in Canada

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Some resources for organic research in Canada

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