Organic growers, traders and certifiers are celebrating what might turn into a short-lived victory.
Last week the federal minister of agriculture formally endorsed the idea of setting up a regulation for organic food in Canada, much to the delight of an industry attempting to negotiate continued access to the European Union.
“It’s just an official green light to move ahead with this regulation as quickly as possible,” said Stephanie Wells, spokesperson for the Organic Trade Association.
“This approval is a milestone for the organic sector in Canada,” proclaimed Debbie Miller, Canadian manager for the Organic Crop Improvement Association.
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Groups are elated that after months of intensive lobbying they finally have a firm commitment from Andy Mitchell’s office to establish rules to enforce the evolving national standard.
Agriculture Canada officials have been working behind the scenes on the file since November 2004 when the federal Organic Task Force was formed, but this is the first time the minister has given the idea his official nod of approval.
“In a way it’s just a formality, but if you don’t have it you don’t get a regulation,” said Wells.
It provides negotiators with proof that Canada is indeed serious about developing a regulation for organics. That is key because according to Wells the Europeans are more interested in how that process unfolds than how the new national standard looks.
But the progress eked out in Ottawa could be all for naught if opposition parties force a federal election this spring, which could result in the appointment of a new agriculture minister.
“If an election is called that will mean a delay,” said Wells. “If we start over with a new minister it could just be time-consuming.”
And time isn’t on Canada’s side.
The EU has imposed a Dec. 31, 2005, deadline for countries to prove their organic systems are equivalent to what is used overseas.
For years Canadian negotiators have urged the organic industry to get its act together on developing and implementing a new standard and regulation, issuing repeated warnings that the door is about to close on one of the world’s biggest organic markets.
But with the deadline looming eight months away a number of industry participants, including Wells, are suggesting the Europeans may be lenient with Canada.
“I think that because discussions have already begun with the EU and they understand we’re in (the middle of) this process, I don’t think it’s going to present a problem,” she said.
“I really don’t think there is going to be an interruption in trade.”
However, she doesn’t want that sentiment to lead to complacency in implementing a new national regulatory system because what exists right now is a maze of rules that hinders international trade.
Canada is well on its way to tidying up what has been a confusing system, so any delay in that process would be a frustrating setback.
“We can’t do anything to prevent an election so we’ll just have to make the best of it,” said Wells.
