Canadian roots and global reach
From its roots as an organic farm in Saskatchewan, Sunrise Foods has developed to become the world’s largest organic grain-trading company. supplied
As the Canadian Organic Regime (COR) organic standards mark their 15th year, Canada-based company Sunrise Foods International reflects on its history of sourcing and distributing organic-certified agri-food ingredients. Founded by Saskatchewan organic farmers in 1997, Sunrise Foods is now the largest organic grain-trading company worldwide.
“Sunrise Foods and the organic industry at large have seen significant growth over the last few decades,” says Tracy Sundquist, Sales, Food Ingredients, who has experienced this growth first-hand during her eight years at Sunrise Foods. “This growth reflects rising consumer demand for nutritious, sustainably grown food. As we have extended our global reach, we remain proud of our Canadian roots, and we continue to source a lot of our product from Canadian farmers.”
Organic regulatory frameworks, including the COR standards, are foundational to the global organic industry. These regulations are in place to ensure products using the organic claim adhere to strict standards for organic agricultural production and handling. Equivalency agreements between Canada and select countries ensure that a “certified organic” product sold in Canada meets Canadian regulatory standards, no matter the country of origin.
Tobi Strohan, vice president compliance at Sunrise Foods, confirms, “Organic controls in place across the supply chain are integral to the success of the sector, to upholding consumer trust. The organic label means consumers can be confident they are getting what they pay for.”
As a major player in the global organic market, Sunrise Foods takes its leadership role in organic compliance seriously. This includes sharing best practices and support with its suppliers and service providers.
“Supporting operations with their certifications affords us visibility into our supply chains and the flow of each ingredient or product – from the field to the customer,” says Derek Simsic, quality lead for the company. “Ensuring organic integrity throughout the supply chain is everything in the organic industry.”
Sunrise Foods has subsidiaries in the United States, Türkiye and Western Europe and manages all its organic programs centrally through its Canadian headquarters.
“We set a high bar and are committed to maintaining that consistent level of excellence across all geographies,” Strohan adds.
Another formal sign of the company’s commitment to organic integrity is its fraud prevention program. The company was among the first in the industry to develop a comprehensive program built on the fraud prevention framework developed by the Organic Trade Association (OTA). As vice president compliance for over five years, Strohan oversees the company’s organic control board alongside Miles McEvoy, former head of the USDA National Organic Program and Sunrise Foods’ organic integrity advisor.
One of the challenges for organic companies is keeping pace with regulatory changes. Sunrise Foods has been a leader here too, evolving its programs and supporting its supply chains to ensure compliance, most recently with the new U.S. Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule, aimed at strengthening oversight of organic producers, handlers and certifiers and reducing fraud in the marketplace.
“We were already aligned with many of the new rules, and with SOE, we have further strengthened our compliance systems,” says Simsic. “We have controls in place to prevent breaks in the supply chain and create a level playing field for all, benefiting organic suppliers and, most importantly, consumers.”
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