Investment aims to help industry to become more efficient and competitive
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Canadian organic farmers could see some positive changes, thanks to a few recent investments.
The Organic Federation of Canada (OFC) will receive up to $8.3 million to conduct research to improve the organic sector’s productivity, a government release revealed on Friday.
The organization will study such topics as soil health, crop breeding and pest management, the release said. Researchers will also “evaluate the environmental impacts of organic farm practices.”
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s minister of agriculture and agri-food, announced the investment on Friday. It falls under the AgriScience Clusters component of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
The Canadian Agricultural Adaptation program will also provide the OFC with $292,555 in funding, the ag minister said. The organization can use this money to streamline “the review process of the Canadian Organic Standards and improve the Canadian organic industry's competitiveness and international market access,” the release said.
This review process, which occurs every five years, allows the industry to integrate new practices into the standards, as long as “they are deemed compliant with organic principles,” Nicole Boudreau, a spokesperson from the OFC, told Farms.com.
“It allows the industry to look at all the clauses of the standards and to update and modernize their content,” she said.
In addition to these contributions, industry members provided the OFC with another $4.4 million to help the organization achieve its goals.
This research and review could help the industry maintain its global edge, too.
“Demand for our world-class Canadian organic products continues to grow around the world and our Government is proud to support our organic farmers and food processors so they can meet that demand,” Minister MacAulay said in the release.
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