6 February 2026 7 www.SmallFarmCanada.ca NEWS & NOTES The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has released its latest findings on national food fraud prevention efforts, highlighting extensive work carried out between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. As the country’s lead authority on food fraud oversight, the CFIA continues to focus on preventing, detecting, and deterring misrepresentation in the food supply—an issue of growing global concern. During the reporting period, the agency undertook a wide range of activities, from risk analysis and awareness campaigns to international collaboration, research, and targeted surveillance. Two major sampling programs were central to this work: marketplace monitoring and targeted inspectorate sampling. Marketplace monitoring involved 323 samples collected by an independent third party at retail stores to assess authenticity in products such as coconut water, spices, fresh meat, sunflower oil, and tea. Overall compliance was high, though coconut water showed lower rates of authenticity. Targeted inspectorate sampling—aimed at higher risk businesses such as importers, processors, and retailers—covered 712 samples across categories including fish, honey, meat, olive oil, organic produce, grated hard cheese, fruit juice, and other specialty foods. Inspectors also conducted 345 label verifications. Results showed that grated hard cheese, olive oil, and other high value oils had the lowest authenticity rates, while fish, honey, fruit juice, and meat performed well. Label compliance was lowest for fish and specialty oils, and highest for organic produce and grated cheese. The CFIA emphasized that these results should not be compared year to year, as sampling strategies intentionally shift to focus on higher risk products. Where non compliance was found, the agency took enforcement action—including product removal, detention, destruction, or relabeling—to prevent misrepresented food from reaching consumers and to maintain fair competition for Canadian businesses. Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency WONDERFUL WOOL, CANADIAN WOOL! Whether you are using natural fibres for gardening, agriculture, crafting, fashion or home fixtures, Canadian wool products have a lot to offer across the country. The Campaign for Wool has developed an accessible online directory with 25 plus sheep farmers, artisans and millers. It is searchable by category and by province and available at the Canadian Wool Directory. We are proud to have featured directory participants in our magazines including Ecowool, Longway Homestead, Topsy Farm and WoolGrown Company to name a few. Applications are growing for Canadian wool not only in crafting, in agriculture and gardening too. It is growing as an alternative to materials like plastic mulch. Small Farm Canada discussed the expanding use of wool as mulch in the garden with Lindsey Weber of WoolGrown Company recently. We found out that we are not alone in looking for sustainable solutions. Their horticultural felt milled from wool is now on sale at Lee Valley Tools. A mulch made with Canadian wool is a sustainable value-added product. CANADA STEPS UP EFFORTS TO DETECT AND PREVENT FOOD FRAUD TREES AND SHRUBS THAT HEAL: RECONNECTING WITH THE MEDICINAL FOREST WRITTEN BY ANNE STOBART PUBLISHER - PERMANENT PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED BY JANET WALLACE Trees and Shrubs that Heal describes how trees and shrubs can improve human health, ranging from forest bathing to making decoctions of bark, leaves or fruit to relieve specific ailments. The chemistry behind the healing action is described with details on saponins, fatty acids, polyphenols and more. The majority of the book is made up of two-page profiles of eighty different plants describing “herbal actions,” research findings, active constituents, safety, as well as tips on harvesting and cultivation. However, the information is brief and often general. If you’re looking for plants to forage in Canada, this wouldn’t be the best book for you. The profiles are from trees and shrubs from the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe. Most are not native to Canada and many aren’t hardy enough to grow in much of the country (i.e., they can only grow in zones 6+). I still learned more about the plants on my land. For example, black currant leaves have antiviral effects that can help stave off colds and flu, and the leaves can also be used to alleviate joint pain and arthritis. Trees and Shrubs that Heal could complement more detailed medicinal herb books for the those who want to grow non-native trees and shrubs in warm areas or in sheltered conditions. Seed breeders, growers and sellers like Kitchen Table Seed Company and others listed in the 2026 Small Farm Canada Seed Guide are signators’ of the “Safe Seed Pledge.” SAFE SEED PLEDGE Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms, poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthy people and communities. (Instagram) gmofreeusa_ official • Canadian Farmers Warn Home Gardeners About Genetically Engineered Vegetable Seeds Coming Soon To Canada: 163 farmers in Ontario and British Columbia, many supplying local and organic markets, have signed a declar- ation opposing the sale of genetically engineered vegetable seeds in Canada. The declaration comes as biotechnology companies are preparing to market genetically engineered seeds to small growers and home gardeners in Canada for the first time, including at grocery stores and home garden centers. Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have approved a genetically engineered tomato, trademarked “The Purple Tomato.” Seeds of this GMO tomato are already being sold to home gardeners in the US “Selling genetically engineered seeds to home gardeners is reckless and could jeopardize our ability to provide customers with organic and other non-GE choices,” said Mel Sylvestre of Grounded Acres Organic Farm in Gibsons, BC. “If widely planted by gardeners across the country, these GE seeds pose an unnecessary contamination risk that could threaten heritage seeds and our tradition of seed saving.” Read more: https://cban.ca/farmers-warn- home-gardeners-about-genetically-engineeredvegetable-seeds-coming-soon Boycott GMO seeds and plants by buying only from seed companies and retailers that have taken the Seed Integrity Pledge for Safe Seeds (the Safe Seed Pledge): https://www.safeseedpledge.org. TOP: AFRICA STUDIO - ADOBE STOCK | BOTTOM: BEATRICE - ADOBE STOCK TOP RIGHT: GMOFREEUSA - INSTAGRAM | MIDDLE LEFT: ROLANDAS - ADOBE STOCK | MIDDLE RIGHT: ANNE STOBART Looking to find out more? Check out the Campaign for Wool video series here!
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