SASKATOON – Organic agriculture has come under fire in the past for lack of defined quality standards.
So three of the 43 Canadian certification bodies have drawn merger plans in hopes of eliminating buyer uncertainty over quality and to give growers and processors standards to follow, in place of national standards still being developed.
“This will aid our clients or members by reducing duplication of services, and spread the cost of things like international certification across several groups,” said Larry Lenhardt, of the Organic Crop Producers and Processors Ontario Inc.
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The Ontario group, Pro-Cert Organic Systems of Saskatchewan and the Organic Producers Association of Manitoba recently laid out plans for an amalgamation at the end of this calendar year.
“We hope to streamline the implementing of the standards … of (the Canadian Organic Advisory Board) … . It would be very effective in getting international certification for our members if we were a larger group,” said Yvonne Sheane of the Manitoba group.
The Manitoba group is a non-profit co-op while the other two are profit-oriented. Merging the Manitoba group requires a vote of the board and the management.
The combined group would have a professional inspection service and producer liaison.
