© 2007 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada (Canadian Food Inspection Agency), all rights reserved. Use without permission is prohibited. An Update on Canada’s Organic Regime March 10, 2011

2 CFIA Overview

3 Who we are The CFIA is mandated to safeguard Canada’s food supply and the plants and animals upon which safe and high-quality food depends.

4 Our vision and mission Our vision is to excel as a science-based regulator, trusted and respected by Canadians and the international community. We are dedicated to safeguarding food, animals and plants, which enhances the health and well-being of Canada’s people, environment and economy.

5 Our goals Protect Canadians from preventable health risks Protect consumers through a fair and effective food, animal and plant regulatory regime that supports competitive domestic and international markets Sustain the plant and animal resource base Contribute to the security of Canada’s food supply and agricultural resource base Provide sound agency management

6 Managing food safety risks The CFIA… Enforces food safety and nutritional quality requirements of food sold in Canada* Verifies industry compliance with federal acts and regulations Encourages science-based risk management Operates emergency response system Approximately 350 food recalls are managed each year *policies and standards are set by Health Canada

7 Protecting consumers and the marketplace from unfair practices For example, the CFIA… Enforces standards for food labelling Verifies compliance with Seeds Act Testing and inspection of seeds for trueness to type, purity, germination, quality and disease Provides legal protection to plant breeders for new plant varieties for up to 18 years Monitors fresh fruits and vegetables for safety and wholesomeness, compliance with grade, packaging and labelling requirements, and marketing to avoid marketplace deception

8 Organic Products Regulations, 2009 (OPR) Came into effect June 30, 2009 Objectives Effective consumer protection against deceptive and misleading labelling practices Development of the domestic market – Creating a level playing field for all. Continued market access - agreements

9 What was needed to the Organic Products Regulations? Organic Federation of Canada Cost Benefit Consumer Demand

10 Organic Federation of Canada Growth Rate # Certified Growers Retail Value - $ Imports – 80 percent

11 Cost Benefit Study Growers, Producers Processors, wholesalers, retailers, exporter Consumers Federal and Provincial Governments

12 Consumer Demand Confusion of the Canadian Consumers

13 What do the Organic Products Regulations do? Regulations require mandatory certification to Canada’s Organic Standards

14 Are non food products, such as aquaculture products, cosmetics, fibres, health care products etc. included in the Canada Organic Regime? Food products, animal feed and products used for the cultivation of plants.

15 How is the Canada Organic Regime Structured Canada’s Organic Regime is based on third-party service delivery

16 How do the Regulations affect the organic industry? Restrictions on International and inter-provincial trade of Organic Products

17 Who enforces the Regulations? CFIA enforces the Regulations

18 Incorporation by reference of Standards The incorporation by reference of these Standards is dynamic in nature, meaning that any changes to the Standards will not necessitate an amendment to the OPR 2009

19 What are the requirements for imported products? Under the OPR, organic products may be imported under the following conditions: Certified to COS Certified in accordance with a trade agreement

20 What is Equivalency Determination

21 How are negotiations for EQ agreements prioritized Government of Canada initiated negotiations on a priority basis with our key trading partners

22 What are the benefits of an Equivalency Agreement

23 Equivalency Agreement The OPR allow for Canada to EQ agreements with foreign countries An import-export agreement that deems both the foreign country's conformity assessment system, as well as its standards, as being equivalent to requirements of the domestic regulations. Under this scenario, an imported product would be certified through the foreign country's conformity assessment system to the foreign standards (with exceptions where applicable) and would be considered to meet the importing country's requirements.

24 Equivalency Process Steps: 1. Submission/application 2. Document exchange 3. Comparison of each country’s regime : Administration Regulations Accreditation and Certification Standards and PSL Monitoring and Enforcement 4. Negotiate list of variances 5. Agree on the variances 6. Prepare agreement 7. Signing of agreement

25 What happens after an Equivalency Agreement has been signed?

26 Canada- U.S. Arrangement Canada and the U.S. agreed to recognize our national organic systems as equivalent with the following exclusions: Imports from the United States into Canada 1.may not be produced with the use of sodium nitrate 2.may not be produced by hydroponic or aeroponic production methods 3.must be produced according to Canadian livestock stocking rates

27 Canada- U.S. Arrangement Canada and the U.S. agreed to recognize our national organic systems as equivalent with the following exclusions: Exports from the Canada into U.S. Agricultural products derived from animals treated with antibiotics shall not be marketed as organic in the United States

28 Conditions Canada agreed to under the US- Canada Equivalency Agreement 1. CFIA must notify the USDA of: - Changes to certification bodies - Proposals to change our Regulation or Act - Significant non-compliance with Organic Certification 2. CFIA must permit the USDA to conduct on site evaluations of the Canada Organic Regime

29 Issues Arising from the Agreement Exclusions to Arrangement Directives Lists of Accredited Certification Bodies Common wording for Export documentation NOP certification in Canada Use of Logo – other labelling claims On site evaluation Communication Strategy

30 Future work with the United States on the Equivalency Agreement Remove of the Critical Variances Develop an Organic Management Information System Improve Communication/ Public Awareness

31 Status – Other Countries Europe – Peer Review Costa Rica – Comparison step Japan – Comparison step Australia – Comparison step Korea – Extension of implementation date Chile – Application step Mexico – Application step Swiss – awaiting EU results (application step)? Taiwan – Accepted Canada’s Regime Others

32 Organic Products Regulations: CFIA Website: Canada Gazette Website: send comments to : Organic Production Systems Standards: Canadian General Standards Board Website: Contact: Michel Saumur, Manager, Canada Organic Office (613) References and Contacts