The New Agreement

After much anticipation the Equivalency Agreement between Canada and the United States finally came into affect as of July 1st 2009. This agreement will bring forth prosperous opportunity for organic farmers on both sides of the border and should also prove to be advantageous for Atlantic Canadian organic growers. Holly Givens recently wrote in an American article that organic producers should start expecting “…potatoes, apples, berries and other farm products with the Canadian organic logo alongside the “USDA Organic” seal.” Much of which will likely be from Atlantic Canada “given the proximity of the agricultural areas”.

http://www.reformer.com/ci_12669714
http://www.examiner.com/x-7244-Boston-Organic-Food-Examiner~y2009m6d23-US-and-Canada-sign-organic-equivalency-agreement

Equivalency? What do you mean equivalency?

The Basics.
The Equivalency Agreement is a trade agreement between Canada and the United States that recognizes the commonalities the two share in the production of organic agriculture. That is although there are some small differences between what is required of a certified organic producer in Canada and the United States, the guiding principles of what makes food organic are the same. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) came together on June 17, 2009 at the All Things Organic Conference in Chicago, Illinois and signed this historic agreement which recognized that although they are not identical both regimes’ organic regulations operate around the same basic philosophy.

How will the US/Canada Equivalency Agreement work?
The CFIA and the USDA both have their own sets of standards in order to gain the distinction of being “certified organic”. In principle the attempt to protect the integrity of and allow for marketing of food products as “certified organic”. Under the Equivalency Agreement, the CFIA will recognize imported organic food produced according to the requirements for certification as organic by the USDA as organic in Canada. Likewise the USDA will recognize imported organic food produced according to the requirements for certification as organic by the CFIA as organic in the United States.

Why did we need the Equivalency Agreement at all?
Everything changed for organic exporters to Canada on June 30, 2009 when the new Organic Products Regulations (OPR) came into effect. Without an agreement USDA certified organic food exported to Canada would have been required to receive a second certification bringing them in compliance with the new OPR before being introduced to the Canadian market. Likewise, any certified organic food under the OPR guidelines exported to the United States would have needed to also meet National Organic Program (NOP) guidelines before being introduced to the American market. This double certification would have been an unnecessary burden for the producers and certifying bodies to carry. With all the extra time, paperwork, and expenses that would have been necessary to certify in both countries would have been a major deterrent to trade as well as a cause of price increases passed down to the consumer. In order for the organic industry to expand beyond domestic markets equivalency agreements are necessary to facilitate trade with as few barriers as possible while still protecting the integrity of organic food. This historic agreement between the USDA and CFIA sets a standard for further expansions into the large European and Asian markets.

This sounds too simple
That’s because it is. As with any trade agreement there were extensive negotiations which led to certain concessions made by both the USDA and the CFIA.
The USDA requires that all agricultural products derived from animals treated with antibiotics should not be marketed as organic in the United States. As an example, a dairy farmer in Canada who treats a cow with antibiotics when it is sick may no longer at any time in that cow’s life sell its milk in the United States as certified organic under the Equivalency Agreement.
The CFIA requires that agricultural products derived from animals must be produced according to livestock stocking rates set out in the General Principles and Management Standards for Organic Agriculture (CAN/CGSB-32.310-2006). Second, the CFIA required that products produced by hydroponic or aeroponic production methods shall not be sold or marketed as organic in Canada. Finally, the CFIA required that products produced with the use of sodium nitrate shall not be sold or marketed as organic in Canada.
As long as a product meets these demands with evidence to support it, it may be certified as organic in both countries under both the OPR and NOP.

How does this affect my labeling?
So now you’re organic in both Canada and the United States. The next issue is packaging and labeling. All of the same laws and regulations apply for labels which you may find on the CFIA and FDA websites.
CFIA Labels (Canada): http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/guide/toce.shtml
FDA Labels (United States): http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/FoodLabelingGuide/default.htm
These are general guidelines to follow that are not affected by the agreement. What is affected by the agreement is that now if you are producing in the United States and exporting to Canada and meet the requirements of the Equivalency Agreement, you now have the option of using either the Canada Organic label alone or both the USDA Certified Organic and Canada Organic label. For those producing in Canada and exporting to the United States you will have the option of either the USDA Certified Organic label alone or the Canada Organic label alongside the USDA label.

What is the “Stream of Commerce”?
The Stream of Commerce is a vehicle through which organic producers will be required to transition and meet the new requirements for organic certification in Canada. The Stream of Commerce extends for two years, expiring on June 30, 2011 and is designed to minimize the impact on trade during this two-year period. During this time those who do not meet the requirements for organic certification in Canada will be informed on their issues of non-compliance and be requested of a plan to come into compliance. After those two years the CFIA will implement more stringent enforcement activities.
For US imports to Canada under the Equivalency Agreement that areas that may need time to transition into compliance would be that agricultural products must meet the livestock stocking rates, no aeroponic or hydroponic production methods are to be used, and that no sodium nitrate can be used in the production of organic products.

Sustainable Pollination Forum

On Friday June 12th the Sustainable Pollination Forum was held at the Farm Centre in Charlottetown PEI. The enthusiasm and involvement was excellent, despite the poor weather conditions. The forum kicked off with a welcome from Alan Hicken, the president of PEI Organic Berries. In total there were eight excellent speakers who addressed the importance of pollination, directing a great deal of focus to the contribution of bees, as it is the easiest and least expensive means to pollinate. In Canada alone there are 800 species of bees, and many of the presenters suggested that it was of great importance that we should provide the appropriate habitat – wildflowers.

Researchers are exploring new innovative pollination techniques and have been examining the advantages of microbes, which fight diseases like botrytis; a mould caused from damp, cool conditions. Keynote speaker, Dr. Peter Kevan of the University of Guelph, spoke on the various pollination systems and pollinators used in berry production. In order to solve the pollination problem people of different backgrounds and expertise should be brought together as they were at the Sustainable Pollination Forum.

One last important message that was well felt throughout the forum was the need to maximize pollination strategies in order to manage the various bee species. Farmers shouldn’t find themselves relying on one system to pollinate their crops. The forum wrapped up with closing remarks made by Dr. Jim Kemp who acknowledged that not all farmers recognize decline in bees world wide or the importance of pollination and sincerely thanked all those who attended.

Now introducing….

It was a cold October evening, about 6:55PM if I remember correctly. I walked into the Mount Allison student union’s council meeting to sit as a newly elected member. Overwhelmed and intimidated by the whole experience I could barely bring myself to contribute an opinion to the discussions. Looking around at some of the other faces, I knew I was not alone. Suddenly a motion was put forward but had no seconder, this was my time to shine. I raised my placard and declared, “I will second the motion”. Next the chair in his authoritative manner announced, “Joni motions, Alex seconds”. “Hooray” I shouted in my head, “I did something important”. Looking across the floor to Joni I saw a bright smile on her face. I think I just made a friend.

And so our friendship developed over the year working as advocates for student issues, trying to make the world a better place, one small step at a time. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, indeed I thought this was the case at the end of the school year. How would we continue to promote and be advocates for the things we care about? This is where ACORN has come in for us. Woo hoo! Here Joni and I are, together again, trying to make the world a better place, one small step at a time.

Joni and I both have a passion to learn and help in promoting organic products and supporting the community of farmers, manufacturers, retailers and consumers involved in the production and consumption of all things organic. So here we are, our first week on the job, writing this blog, connecting with the organic community in Atlantic Canada and are super excited to be doing it all. We both hope to get to know as many of you as possible and help in the promotion of organic agriculture.

For those of you who would like to get to know us a little more personally, we’ve got a little questionnaire that we have both filled out:

Name: Alex MacDonald

School: Mount Allison

Program: Political Science

Hometown: Oshawa, ON

Favourite animal: Sloth

Favourite fruit/veggie: Mango

What do you want to be when you grow up: Lobbyist

Where in Canada would you love to travel to: Labrador

Favorite quote: “He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.” – Harold Wilson.

Name: Joni Fleck-Andrews

School: Mount Allison

Program: Philosophy, Environmental Studies, Commerce

Hometown: Riverview, NB

Favourite Animal: Frogs

Favourite fruit/veggie: Depends on the season

What do you want to be when you grow up: Lifetime student

Where in Canada would you love to travel to: Northern B.C.

Favorite quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world” – Gandhi

See you around,

Joni and Alex

IOIA Organic Inspector Training

20 participants from Atlantic Canada participated in PEI’s International Organic Inspector’s Association’s (IOIA) Inspector Training held April 13-19 at Slemon Park in Summerside.

Future Organic Inspectors hard at work!

‘We make sure organic is really organic,” said Monique Scholtz, the IOIA course instructor.  

This is no simple process. 

A certified organic inspector represents the eyes and ears of the Certification Agency.  Organic inspectors are NOT consultants and they can’t give any specific advice.  They are also not the decision-makers; the final decision concerning whether or not a farm is eligible for certification is up to the Certification Agency.  S/he is responsible for ensuring that farmers who want to be certified are meeting the new Canadian Organic Standard.  They are also responsible for identifying organic control points and risks for any given farm. 

To name a few examples, an inspector is looking to ensure that the farmer inspected is not using any prohibited substances (sewage sludge, chemical fertilizers), that there is no chance of commingling with non-organic products (products are packaged and sold separately), and that farms are meeting the minimum buffer zone requirements (8 metres or an effective permanent hedgerow).  Organic Inspectors also have to make sure that the farmer’s audit trail makes sense.  For example, “Does this farm’s seed purchases match their sales records?”  Or, “What inputs were used on this particular field?”

As you can gather, it’s pretty involved.  Likewise, the organic inspector training was intense, and all of the participants’ brains were full of new information about organic production.  I bet that every one of the 20 participants drove away from the training through PEI’s picturesque farming landscapes thinking to themselves, “Is that an appropriate buffer zone?” And, “What are the risks on that farm?”  They’ll never look at farming quite the same again.

As a result of this training Atlantic Canada will have some new, thoroughly trained organic inspectors for the 2009 season – be sure to welcome them onto the arduous path of inspections with a smile!

 

Participants performing a "mock" inspection at a local farm

Connecting Farmers and Chefs

ACORN is completing its Farmer-Chef project, which has been funded in part by the Canadian Organic Growers and the NS and PEI Departments of Agriculture. All in all, more than 65 organic farm profiles were created, 30+ sell sheets which list product availability, and 7 farm displays.

Theresa Richards, project coordinator, has also attended farmer-chef meetings in each of the Maritime Provinces. Theresa also developed a farmer-chef checklist, which helps with tips and advice for farms looking to make food service connections, as well as chefs looking for new organic farm suppliers. This will be on the ACORN website shortly.

It’s been a very successful project and we hope to keep the momentum going, as more and more chefs who are “worth their weight in salt” are looking for local organic products.

For farm profiles, visit the ACORN website:

NB farms (http://acornorganic.org/farmers/indexNB.html)

PEI farms (http://acornorganic.org/farmers/indexPEI.html)

NS farms (http://acornorganic.org/farmers/indexNS.html)

Over 450 Attend the ACORN Conference

I just finished up some number crunching and it looks like we had between 450-500 people through the doors! That is certainly the best ACORN conference that I’ve ever been involved with and speaks volumes about the energy of organics in Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada. There were also so many younger farmers there, and our child care services were well used too–what a bright food future for the region!

Check out our conference gallery below:

Roxbury Farm started the program with the CSA Workshop - it was a full house!

The trade show was also amazing, with many new exhibitors and terrific feedback. One exhibitor reported doubling their sales from the previous year!

 

Andrea Berry of Hope Seeds at the ACORN Trade Show

 

People flock to find heritage and locally grown organic seeds

 

Danny Bruce, of Bruce Family Farm, was awarded the annual Gerrit Loo Award for outstanding contributions to organic agriculture.

Chocolate raspberry torte at the Friday night banquet!

The silent auction generated over $2000 in donations!

 

Organic babies at the ACORN conference

Live Your Farm Dream

Ever dreamed about having your own farm, growing your own
food, knowing how to distinguish between weeds, or even just
working outside for a summer?

Consider making 2009 the year you realize your dream –
it’s not as difficult as you may think!

There are dozens of farms across Canada who are looking to
teach you these skills. For a commitment of 8 weeks or more,
a farm will provide you with room and board and an education
that you’ll use for the rest of your life.

From the bright Atlantic shores of the Maritimes to
Vancouver Island, you will find farms of every shape and
size. Some are small market gardens, others with sweeping
fields of grains. You’ll learn not only to grow food, but
drive a tractor, build a fence, update blogs, and some will
even teach you how to weld!

Many farms are also willing to accept couples too, so you
don’t have to make the choice of doing what you love without
the one you love

Take time to look through the many farm listings and dare to
dream about greener pastures — www.soilapprenticeships.org

SOIL is now accepting applications, so apply today!

Some Great Food Books of 2008

To start off the new year, here is a list of the 2008 Culinary Book Awards as well as some recent books from Fernwood Publishing – a company that publishes critical works that address social issues and challenge existing scholarship. In addition to these, this list includes practical cookbooks and more inspiring works from well-known authors to help inspire us all in another year of healthier eating and living.

 

The Canadian Culinary Book Awards 2008:

English Canadian Food Culture Winners:

Gold – “A Year at Les Fougeres” by Charles Part and Jennifer Warren Part.

“A Year at Les Fougeres” chronicles a year at a new restaurant in the Gatineau Hills. Divided into 12 sections for each month of the year, it includes seasonal recipies and details their lives and food philosophy.

Silver – “Menus from an Orchard Table” by Heidi Noble 

The menus and essays in the book reveal the “birth” of this new wine country cuisine in the Okanagan and allow the reader to recreate some of the flavors of this emerging wine country.

Honourable Mention – “Icewine” by Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser

Ziraldo draws on his insights and experience to bring to life what is an exacting science, an expressive art and an earthy celebration of regional terroir. Food and wine pairings provide the perfect finish for this luxurious volume, designed to immerse readers in the velvety smoothness of Canada’s most precious beverage.

 English Special Interest Winners:

Gold: “Ultimate foods for ultimate health… and don’t forget the chocolate!” by Liz Pearson and Mairlyn Smith 

Liz Pearson is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for peanut butter sandwiches and an undying love for chocolate. Mairlyn Smith is a multi-talented home economist who creates recipes that are super nutritious and incredibly delicious. This book answers questions, give great advice, and highlights more disease-fighting, powerhouse foods.

Silver: “The 100-mile diet: a year of local eating” by Alisa Smith and J.R. MacKinnon 

In 2005, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon began a one-year experiment in local eating. Their 100-Mile Diet struck a deeper chord than anyone could have predicted, inspiring thousands of individuals, and even whole communities, to change the way they eat.

 

 

From Fernwood Publishing: 

Edible Action: Food Activism and Alternative Economics, by Sally Miller 

Edible Action argues that food is peculiarly situated to address the ills of an unjust economic system and to mobilize people against it.

 

Bringing the Food Economy Home: Local Alternatives to Global Agribusiness by Helena Norberg-Hodge, Todd Merrifield and Steven Gorelick

The authors argue if the trend of large agribusiness were thought about rather than accepted without question, then local food production would be seen as a viable means of supplementing this existing system. This book presents a thoughtful argument that calls for a more conscientious and active role for people at the local level of food production

 

Food for All: The Need for a New Agriculture by John Madeley

Madeley argues for the spread of a low-external input approach, a reintegration of traditional farming techniques, new farming practices like organic agriculture and permaculture, and a range of ‘green’ technologies to offer a more viable livelihood too farmers, food for the hungry, and safe and good tasting food for the rest of us.

 

 

Other reads:

Tomorrow’s Table by Pamela Ronald and Raoul Adamchak

Genetic engineering, combined with organic farming, may well be the best way to resolve the need for increased global food production, while minimizing environmental impact, suggest husband-and-wife agricultural experts at the University of California, Davis.

 

Slice of Organic Life by Alice Waters, Sheherazade Goldsmith 

Everybody can have a slice of the organic life. To get closer to the soil there’s no need to become completely self-sufficient or make radical sacrifices to the way you live. With this book, just pick out the projects that appeal to you and follow the straightforward practical advice to make small changes to your life. Even if your home is an apartment in the city, there’s still plenty you can do.

 

In Defence of Food by Michael Pollan – Author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

In his hugely influential treatise The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan traced a direct line between the industrialization of our food supply and the degradation of the environment. His new book takes up where the previous work left off. Examining the question of what to eat from the perspective of health, this powerfully argued, thoroughly researched and elegant manifesto cuts straight to the chase with a maxim that is deceptively simple: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. 

Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients by Jesse Ziff Cool.

The world is changing, and along with it, so must our eating habits. Author and restaurateur Jesse Ziff Cool has compiled over 30 years of knowledge about organic, local, and sustainable food into one magnificent cookbook, including indespensible elements of her earlier cookbook, Your Organic Kitchen, which is now out of print. With 150 enticing recipes, Simply Organic encourages home cooks to embrace organics as a lifestyle rather than a fad. Cool organizes her chapters seasonally to ensure that the freshest, ripest ingredients enhance the flavors of dishes like Filet Mignon with mashed Potatoes and Leek Sauce in early spring to Pumpkin Raisin Bread Pudding in autumn. Inspiring profiles on farmers and producers reveal how these individuals are working to create a sustainable future every day.

 

The Organic Food Shopper’s Guide, by Jeff Cox 

This handy guide shows you how to select the freshest, tastiest varieties and transform your organic groceries into memorable meals. You’ll find guidance on what to look for when shopping, how to handle each food in the kitchen, and why, when foods are organic, they’re so darn good for you.

 

Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes, by Mark Bittman

Bittman offers a no-nonsense rundown on how government policy, big business marketing, and global economics influence what we choose to put on the table each evening. He demystifies buzzwords like “organic,” “sustainable,” and “local” and offers straightforward, budget-conscious advice that will help you make small changes that will shrink your carbon footprint — and your waistline.

Time to learn!

It may seem quiet on the blog, but ACORN is in full swing.

This week, we just completed our workshop series on soil with Fred Magdoff. Workshops were held across the Maritimes and more than 100 participated! Feedback was terrific and Fred drew accolades. Notes and video from the workshop will be available shortly.

We’ve also just posted videos from our 2007 organic conference on our youtube channel. These deal with going organic, record-keeping, Community Supported Agriculture and more. To view them, and see our other conference and workshop notes, visit http://acornorganic.org/workshopnotes.html.

The 2009 conference is really coming along too. We’ve got the program nearly completed and the trade show is already a third full! Features of the conference are an advanced half-day workshop on CSAs (farm box program), special three-part workshop on “going organic”, and another three-part workshop on season extension. Our theme is related to environment and health, so there will be two days of workshops that relate just to this!

We’ve got more up our sleeve too!

In the New Year, we’ll have workshops on setting up farm apprenticeship programs, growing organic berries, and improving post-harvest handling and storage.

Stay in touch and don’t miss a thing.

Politics of Food

I’m sitting in the student lounge of North Caroline State University in Raleigh, NC, reflecting on the conference proceedings so far. This is a conference on the “Politics of Food”, which of course, mean very different things to different people. 

There are the animal activists, farm labourer rights people, farmers, climate change activists, and faith groups. Also, considering the political turmoil in the US, conference delegates seem to have an even greater passion for making things right. 

The last session I attended was about “kitchen table revolutionaries”. The specific kernel that I am taking away with me is the knowledge of a successful workplace CSA project that took place here in Raleigh. A larger employer was contacted about hosting a CSA drop-off/market at the workplace and agreed. Several farms were involved in the project and after five years, the program is still going strong. 

This is something that could be done anywhere – places of employment, churches, schools etc. The manual from this project is on line at www.cefs.ncsu.edu/rticsa.htm

What a great way to link local farmers to your workplace!