Demystifying Organics
Durham College is situated on the traditional lands of the First Peoples of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. These lands are covered under the Williams Treaties and rest within the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg. We offer our gratitude to the Indigenous Peoples who care for and, through the treaty process, share the lands on which we live, learn, teach and prosper today.
Introduction
The word Organic has adopted a variety of colloquial and regulatory meanings over time, creating a lot of public confusion and distrust for the label. If you have ever wondered about any of the following questions, this article may be helpful to you. What is the regulation process? Who is involved in the certification process; what farming practices are enforced; why is certified organic food more expensive; does the organic label translate into a product that is better for you to buy? Reach out with questions about organic policy through the Barrett Centre Urban Agriculture Community.
Is the word “Organic” regulated?
Short answer no. There is no legislation or regulation over the use of the word “organic” or “grown organically” within the industry. Anyone in the food and farming industry can claim their product is organic without legal consequences. The presence of the "Certified Organic" or the Canadian Organic Label triggers the imposition of regulation. Organic farming is growing crops or raising livestock without synthetic fertilizers or other synthetic inputs. This includes using natural methods that promote soil, crop and livestock health and using farm practices as close to natural cycles as possible.
Who is involved in regulating the Organic Industry in Canada?
As we walk through who is involved in regulation of the Canadian Organic Industry, it may surprise you! The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), develops Canada’s Organic Standards. The CFIA is a federal agency responsible for 10+ Acts, and their related policies and regulations. Including the Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulation; wherein the Canadian Organic Standards are contained. The Canadian Organic Regime (COR) is a “non-traditional regime for the CFIA,” i.e., COR upholds the Canadian Organic Standards. There are three types of parties who are involved with organic certification in an on the ground sense; operators, certification bodies, and conformity verification boards.
1. Operators: Farm/business owners who are producing certified organic products, such as crops, livestock, and products.
2. Certification Bodies: Certification bodies are independent companies, designated by the Conformity Verification Boards, that audit operators and certify that the operator complies with the Canadian Organic Standard.
3. Conformity Verification Boards: Conformity verification bodies are independent companies, designated by the CFIA These conformity board's audit and monitor certification bodies and recommend certification bodies for accreditation with COR.
To Summarize, we have the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Federal Agency) that determines The Standards, COR (Canadian Organic Regime) that gives authority for the Conformity Verification boards (larger auditing companies) the authority to regulate Certification Bodies (Organic Inspection Companies) who then regulate and certify operators (your farmers and producers) and you—the person trying to figure out if they should buy organic! I hope that brings some clarity to you about who the players are in the organic game.
What farming practices are allowed within the Organic Certification?
Canada’s Organic Standard is composed of two documents, The Organic Production Systems General Principals and Management Standard; and the Permitted Substances Lists. The Organic Production Systems General Principals and Management Standard provides an outline of how an “operator” should run their business in relation to their specific business, crop, livestock, and product, including principles and best practices and specific requirements. “Organic production is a holistic system designed to optimize the productivity and fitness of diverse communities within the Agri-ecosystem, including soil organisms, plants, livestock, and people.
The principal goal of organic production is to develop operations that are sustainable and harmonious with the environment.” - Organic Production Systems General Principals and Management Standard I have picked two examples of specific and positive practices that farmers must adhere to, directly from the standard to show you:
“6.7.1.j. Construction and management of outdoor exercise areas and pasture to encourage appropriate use by livestock to prevent animal discomfort, and to avoid soil degradation, long-term damage to vegetation and the contamination of water”
“5.4.2. a. crop rotations that are as varied as possible and include plough-down crops, legumes, catch crops and deep-rooting plants”
These parts of the Organic Standard are REALLY important, and as a consumer, you can trust, in my opinion, that if there is an organic label there is at least a minimum level of sustainable, healthy, ecological, and caring practices that are occurring for crop, livestock, and product operations.
While at the same time, The Standards still have a long way to go before they are a model of excellence in sustainable, regenerative farming. The permitted substance list allows certain herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. So long as they are derived from organic rather than synthetic sources. In table 4.2 of the Permitted Substances List, you can find that “Biological organisms (living, dead or as extracts), such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, phages, fungi, insects, and nematodes. Pharmaceuticals derived from or by biological sources, such as natamycin, penicillin and streptomycin, are prohibited even if registered as pesticides,” are permitted as both soil amendments and crop nutrition.
The use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a soil-dwelling bacteria, and is an example of a permitted pesticide. Bt targets and kills flea beetles, Colorado potato beetles, Mexican bean beetles, etc. It can be applied as sprays, dusts, granules, concentrates or pellets. When the insect consumes Bt, the toxin breaks down the insect’s gut lining and they then die of infection or starvation within 1-5 days. Using these amendments, in my opinion, is contradictory to the overarching goal statements from the standard. And at the same time the use of a Bt insecticide is much closer to an ecological practice than an insecticide that is developed from a synthetic chemical. The Canadian Organic Standard holds dichotomy and self-contradictions. We as consumers must hold that dichotomy and complexity as well.
Can I trust that it is organic?
Phew. That was a lot of information. And Likely you are still feeling confused about if you can trust certified organic foods. In one way, yes, if there is a certified organic label, I believe you can trust that the product is in alignment with the Canadian Organic Standard. Operators have a lot to prove during their annual inspection, regarding traceability and workflows. Reach out to me if you want to know more about the inspection process itself. Why is Certified Organic Food More expensive? Costs of the certification for the operators can vary depending on the Certification Body and the scale of the operation.
Typically, the cost of the certification can range from $700 - $2,000 annually for small to medium farms. Maintaining records throughout the year can add a fair amount of operational cost. For farmers with a large variety of products (such as market gardeners) this component can add minutes to every stage of the production lifecycle. Which may not seem significant at first, but over annual cycles can be quite significant labour costs. Organic practices require more labour and cost inputs than conventional methods. For example, it may cost an organic farm $15,000 in labour to weed a mid-sized vegetable plot and a conventional farmer $5,000 to use herbicide on the same size/type of field. This is a massive cost difference that gets passed to the consumer. So, do I buy the organic item? So, is it worth buying organic? It depends! (Everyone’s least favourite answer) Several farmers I have spoken to recently feel that the best option for buying food is to start with your local growers, rather than focusing on a specific kind of growing. Work on building relationships and get to know the ecological and social practices that are implemented on farm; and most of all support people in your community who are growing food. You can build these relationships at farmers’ markets, community-shared agriculture programs or regional farm tours like Durham farm fresh.
There is a common assumption that organic food is equal to sustainable or regenerative growing techniques, and this is just not always the case. Especially for the large organic producers who mirror conventional techniques with an organic twist. Ultimately, it is important not to shame folks who cannot pay the extra cost of growing or eating organic produce. And that all farmers, regardless of the practices they implement, are working to do what they know to be best for the land and for their farm businesses. If you want to fact-check anything I wrote in this article, check out the embedded external links through the document. I feel curious about how you make your food choices.
What factors are the most important to you?
I would love to discuss this with you!
Cheers For now!
Jennifer Hoban