Organic leaders say growing consumer demand could support more Canadian production, processing and exports as certified acreage declines.
Canada’s organic market is growing quickly, but industry leaders say Canadian farmers and processors are not yet capturing enough of that growth.
Leaders from across the country’s organic value chain gathered in Ottawa Nov. 2 and 3 for Organic Summit 2026 and Parliament Day, where discussions focused on how Canada can produce, process and export more organic products.
The opportunity is substantial.
Canadian organic sales have reached $11.88 billion, an increase of 24 per cent since 2024. Organic food and beverage sales alone account for $8.44 billion, while about two-thirds of Canadians now purchase organic products every week.
Yet growing demand is not necessarily translating into equivalent growth on Canadian farms.
A significant share of Canada's demand is being supplied through imports, including certified organic products from the United States. That creates an opportunity, organic-sector leaders argue, to replace some imports with Canadian-grown commodities and ingredients while expanding domestic processing and manufacturing.
For farmers considering organic production, those market dynamics could be significant. Greater Canadian production could help supply domestic processors while potentially creating additional opportunities in export markets.
Organic acreage is moving in the wrong direction
Despite stronger consumer demand, Canada's certified organic acreage has declined.
Canada currently has approximately 5,711 certified organic producers and 1,739 processors, according to 2026 data released by the Canada Organic Trade Association. But certified organic acreage fell 16.1 per cent from 2024 to 2.20 million acres.
That divergence between rising sales and shrinking acreage was among the concerns raised by sector representatives in Ottawa.
Industry leaders want the federal government to provide greater assistance to farmers transitioning into organic production through Canada's next agricultural policy framework.
Transition can be an important consideration because increasing domestic organic supply requires more than consumer demand. Farms need the production knowledge, markets and infrastructure necessary to make conversion economically viable.
Organic sector takes its case to Parliament Hill
The Organic Summit was followed by an advocacy day Nov. 3, bringing organic-sector representatives to Parliament Hill for meetings with Members of Parliament, Senators and senior policymakers.
Their message centred on strengthening Canada's competitiveness and capturing a larger share of a growing international market.
One priority is giving Canadian organic products a greater role in the country's trade and export development strategy, including stronger Canadian organic branding overseas.
Canada has organic equivalency arrangements with major trading partners, which can facilitate trade in certified organic products. Sector representatives see those relationships as a potential advantage as Canada works to diversify its agricultural and food export markets.
The industry is also seeking a larger role in federal food\-security initiatives, arguing that expanding domestic production and processing would reduce Canada's reliance on imported organic products and ingredients.
Competitors are investing in organic growth
Canada's organic industry does not have the global market to itself.
The Canadian Organic Alliance has previously warned that international competitors are putting considerably more resources behind developing their organic industries. Its Organic Action Plan reports that U.S. spending on organic is approximately eight times higher per acre per year, while European Union spending is about 200 times higher.
The plan calls for increased research, farmer training and transition support, along with investment in processing capacity, regional supply chains and domestic and international market development.
That competition comes as organic markets overseas are also expected to expand, creating both export opportunities and added pressure on Canada to increase production if it wants to participate in that growth.
For Canadian farmers, the central issue coming out of Organic Summit 2026 is therefore not whether consumers want more organic products. The sales figures suggest that demand is already there.
The challenge is determining how much more of that demand can be supplied by Canadian farms, Canadian processors and Canadian ingredients rather than imports.
With organic sales approaching $12 billion while certified acreage moves in the opposite direction, closing that gap could represent one of the sector's biggest opportunities.