Government of Canada launches organic week

The Government of Canada is celebrating Organic Week by helping organic farmers and food processors take full advantage of the incredible growth the sector has enjoyed in recent years. Organic Week begins on Thanksgiving Day, October 11, and runs until World Food Day on October 16.

During the week, consumers, producers and organic enthusiasts will participate in a range of unique events planned across the country, including workshops, local farm tours and a nation-wide recipe contest.

To help kick off the festivities, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced an investment of more than $150,000 to assist the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) in promoting Canada’s high quality organic products to consumers abroad.

“This investment will help farmers stay ahead of international market trends and enhance the global competitiveness of Canada’s growing organic agriculture sector,” said Minister Ritz. “Our Government is always looking to support new opportunities for Canadian farmers and processors, and this investment will do just that by helping COTA capitalise on new global markets.”

This investment will enable COTA to participate in international trade shows, develop a Canadian exporter toolkit, and establish web resources to profile the sector and launch the Canada Organic Brand. The Association will build upon its long-term international strategy and provide information and resources on markets to the Canadian organic sector.

The Canadian organic retail market was valued at close to $2 billion in 2008, representing 66 per cent growth since in 2006.