Organic Week
istock.com
Canada’s 12th National Organic Week – held September 7 to 13, 2020 – represents the largest annual celebration of organic food, farming and products across the country.
It also presents an opportunity to recognize the organic sector’s contributions to advancing health, environmental sustainability and food security at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has impacted virtually every area of society. In order to effectively support organic growers and producers in these new and evolving circumstances, the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) embarked on a fact-finding mission that included key questions like “What are the main challenges due to COVID-19? And will Canadian consumers continue to choose organic options at a time of financial uncertainty?”
The majority of people responding to a grocery survey answered the second question with a resounding “yes,” says Tia Loftsgard, COTA’s executive director. “We asked Canadians whether their organic purchases were going up or down due to the impact of COVID, and 77 per cent said they consider organic more important than ever for the health of their family and the planet.”
It makes sense that – during a health crisis – Canadians prioritize products they consider to be good for their well-being, believes Ms. Loftsgard. The survey also revealed that 70 per cent of consumers plan to continue purchasing organic produce, and 73 per cent said they were open to trying new organic brands and products.
“This positive consumer feedback tells us that the organic sector is continuing to grow,” she says. The percentage of Canadians who expressed trust in Canada organic certified, for example, has grown from 39 per cent in 2016 to 55 per cent in 2020, according to a recent survey, and familiarity with the Canada Organic certified logo has increased from 29 per cent to 40 per cent over the same time period.
“However, the sector has not been immune to the challenges brought on by the pandemic,” says Ms. Loftsgard. For example, organic growers articulated their worries about facing disruptions to their access to organic seeds and fertilizers. In addition, there were concerns that physical distancing requirements would impact annual organic inspections, which form the basis of organic certification, notes Ms. Loftsgard. “People were worried about losing their organic status, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) agreed to change the protocol and allow virtual inspections.”
Other urgent concerns revolved around the availability of labour during the growing season, she explains. “Early on, some of our organic stakeholders worried about their employees being told to stay at home – before food-related industries were declared essential services. Others conveyed their concerns about being able to bring in temporary foreign labourers, who mainly come from Mexico or Jamaica, for the harvest.”
While most of these issues were resolved relatively quickly – and the organic sector’s stringent regulations allowed a timely implementation of mechanisms for protecting the health and safety of workers – a challenge related to World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms (WWOOF) Canada proved more difficult to address. “This is a volunteer program where participants, many from international locations, volunteer on farms to learn more about organic methods of production. The organization’s program wasn’t deemed essential, although it is a significant source of labour for Canada’s organic sector,” says Ms. Loftsgard. “Organic growers reported potential losses of $600,000 to $3-million due to the absence of these volunteers.”
Survey findings and industry feedback has enabled the association to advocate on behalf of its members, and Ms. Loftsgard believes the sector’s response to COVID-19 is a testament to the resilience and sustainability of the organic community. “We saw a large effort of people coming together to figure this out,” she says.
Innovative solutions – and online events – will also be the hallmark of the 2020 Organic Week, according to Ms. Loftsgard. “We pivoted to doing a lot more online activities, such as a webinar series and consumer engagement opportunities through contests. We have a lot more digital content such as a wonderful video series, #IGrowOrganic, of organic farmers throughout the country testifying why they chose to grow organically.”
The main reasons why Canadians buy organic food
57%
to avoid highly processed foods/artificial ingredients
56%
because it doesn’t contain harmful pesticides or other chemicals
42%
because it is better for the environment
41%
to avoid GMOs
39%
to support thriving farms/rural communities
39%
because it is better for you/more nutritious
Source: Leger’s 2020 consumer survey, conducted on behalf of COTA