Bill 153, The Organic Products Act, will be given second reading and debate in Ontario Legislature today.
Co-sponsored by Peter Tabuns, MPP for Toronto-Danforth (NDP), and Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon (PC), and initiated by the Organic Council of Ontario, the Bill would establish an organic products regulation in this province.
If the Bill passes second reading, it then goes to parliamentary committee for further debate.
If it becomes law, the legislation will set in place a legal framework to close the regulation gap in Ontario. These changes will allow consumers of organic products to purchase organic with renewed confidence, knowing that the organic claim must be backed up by third-party certification.
OCO sees this bill as the beginning of a process that will allow all farmers and members of the organic value chain to contribute to the contents of the final regulation.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has also scheduled listening sessions with organic stakeholders and agriculture industry members across the province to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities in the sector. The sessions are to be held in the coming weeks.
Within the province, the Canada Organic Regime is only enforced for products that carry the Canada Organic Logo and those that are exported outside of Ontario - not those simply labelled “organic" and sold within the province. Five other provinces have already adopted regulations to address the need for better oversight of organic claims and ensure consumers and organic farmers are protected.
About the Organic Council of Ontario
The Organic Council of Ontario (OCO) is the Voice for Organics in Ontario. It is the only full value chain association operating at the provincial level. OCO represents over 1000 certified organic operators, as well as the businesses, organizations, and individuals that bring food from farm to plate. OCO works to incite sector growth, support research, improve training, increase data collection, encourage market development, protect the integrity of organic claims, and inform the public of the benefits and requirements of organic agriculture.
Source: OCO