Federal funding has been awarded to help advance the organic sector.
The Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) has been awarded $992,000 over three years through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s Agri-Marketing Program.
According to COTA’s release, the funding will allow the membership-based association to help advance the organic sector through a number of different initiatives. Members will be able to attend tradeshows in the US, Europe, and Asia to improve export opportunities in key markets; develop educational resources for retailers and marketing campaigns for consumer advocacy to increase organic awareness; and carry out research to support decision-making for the sector.
“As the fastest-growing sector in Canadian agriculture, this investment supports organic companies to expand to international markets to meet the global demand for Canadian organic products. The funds will also be dedicated towards the future development of international equivalency arrangements, incoming buyer’s missions and a retailer training curriculum,” said Tia Loftsgard, COTA’s executive director.
“With the government’s target of $75 billion in agricultural exports by 2025, it is crucial that booming sectors like organic be provided with equal opportunities to thrive in the global marketplace,” said Marie-Michéle LeMoine, COTA’s board secretary. “We are pleased to see government recognition and the need to step up to support and build on the impressive momentum of Canadian organics, keeping our sector competitive with our largest trading partners.
COTA represents growers, processors, certifiers, provincial farmers’ associations, importers, exporters, retailers, and others throughout the organic value chain.
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