A Canadian company has become one of a select group of organic
certifiers authorized to export product to the United States.
Canadian Organic Certification Co-operative Ltd. from Swift Current,
Sask., made it onto a 42-company list unveiled by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture on April 29.
It is one of only four foreign certifiers to meet the USDA’s new
organic standards. The company must still complete a successful site
audit and meet other conditions within the next 120 days.
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“This is a major milestone for a Saskatchewan-based organic
certification business,” said Ken Hymers, COCC’s executive committee
officer.
He’s excited about the accreditation because it is about to become much
more difficult to export organic product into the U.S., which,
according to Agriculture Canada, is the largest market for Canadian
organic grain and oilseeds.
After Oct. 21, 2002, product sold into the U.S. that is labeled organic
must be certified by a USDA-accredited firm. Farms and exporters that
sell less than $5,000 of product a year are exempt from that
restriction.
So far, there are only 28 private U.S. firms, 10 state agencies and
four foreign companies deemed eligible to certify product that meets
the USDA’s National Organic Program standards.
Hymers said 37 foreign certifiers applied for USDA accreditation.
While other companies on the USDA list operate in Canada, COCC is the
only Canadian one.
He said the accreditation was a relief to his clients, who worried
about losing access to U.S. markets.
