The #YourStandardsYourSay webinar series is a chance for organic stakeholders to learn about and get engaged in the Canadian Organic Standards review process. We're taking a closer look at some of the issues that are up for debate this review cycle. First up, we will consider the problems faced by small-scale organic farmers. What does small-scale organic look like, and how do the Canadian Organic Standards help (or harm) small-scale organic farmers? What are some solutions that could be implemented locally, provincially, or nationally to mitigate the challenges to small-scale producers. Carolyn Young, Organic Council of Ontario, Executive Director ~Results from the Ontario small-scale certification solutions survey~ Tony McQuail, Meeting Place Organic Farm ~Recommendations from the OFC working group and reactions to findings~ Dave Lockman, Procert Certification Program Manager ~Procert's Local organic program and thoughts on national level changes~ Cameron Dale, Evergreen Brickworks Farmers' Market, Project Manager ~Evergreen Brickworks' farmers' market peer-to-peer verification pilot~ Rochelle Eisen, BC Organic expert and COG President ~Experiences with small-scale certification solutions in BC~

1. #YourStandardsYourSay
Small-Scale Solutions

2. Webinar Instructions
Make sure your audio and video are both turned off
If you have a question, please send it via chat and we will read it out or
call on you to speak
We will be recording the call
If you are having trouble participating, please contact Zoom

3. Panelists & Agenda
12:00 Carolyn Young: Introduction to Webinar Series, why we are talking
about small-scale solutions, and findings from Ontario’s small-scale consultation
12:20 Rochelle Eisen: Findings from COABC small-scale paper, what's been
tried and worked or failed in BC. Thoughts on changes at a national level.
12:30 Cameron Dale: Lessons learned from the Everdale Brickworks' farmers'
market peer-review pilot.
12:40 Tony McQuail: Small-scale certification recommendations from Organic
Federation of Canada Working Group.
12:50 Dave Lockman: Pro-Cert local organic program: challenges and
opportunities; thoughts on improving the national regime for small-scale, creating
a provincial program.
1:00pm Open Forum Discussion, Questions and Answer
1:25pm Wrap Up

4. OrganicSectorOverview

5. What Are the
Canadian
Organic
Standards?
• Are referred to by the regulations
• Adhere to International Standards Organization
(ISO) guidelines
• Outline the principles that guide organic
agriculture, and specify the methods required to
grow certified organic food
• Contents are generated by organic sector, voted on
by the technical committee, owned by CGSB
• While US standards are embedded into
government regulations, Canadian Standards are
distinct from the regulations.

6. Why do they need to be updated?
• Mandated by CGSB
• Standards are archived if not reviewed
• CGSB oversees review process, is a revenue neutral crown agency
• Continuous improvement of standards (ambiguities, challenges in
implementation, changes to industry, discrepancies etc.)

7. How the standards
review works
• Carried out by OFC, overseen by CGSB Committee on
Organic Agriculture (40 voting members representing
interests across organic sector, many of whom
participated in 2015 review)
• July 2018: OFC accepted proposals for
modifications from organic sector stakeholders
• August -November 2018: working groups formed
to review and make recommendations to CGSB
Committee
• October 2018 - March 2019: CGSB Committee
meets (3 conference calls and one in-person meeting)
to vote on proposed modifications; proposed
modifications are submitted for public comment
• Expected completion: November 2020
Contact Simon Jacques at
standards@organiccouncil.ca or
Nicole Boudreau at
info@organicfederation.ca to
give input or get involved.

8. OCO’s Small-Scale
Producer Report
● Ontario has no regulations on the use
of “organic” in marketing
● This means certification is voluntary
for products traded within province.
● OCO advocates for provincial
regulation but does not want to
burden small-scale producers.
● OCO consulted on small-scale
supports: focus groups, survey, white
paper.

9. Fig. 1 – Respondents
We surveyed 94 organic
stakeholders from across
Ontario between Jan. 29 and
Mar. 31, 2018. Respondents
were asked a series of questions
about their views on organic
regulation, the challenges they
associate with achieving and
maintaining organic
certification, and which types of
small-scale certification
supports they would find most
useful.
Who did we survey?

10. Fig. 2 – Certification Status (Producers)
40 percent were not
certified organic.
30 percent were certified
15 percent were in
transition.
10 percent had been
certified in the past
79 percent CSA/Direct
42 percent less than
$20,000 annually
What kind of producers?

11. 81 percent expressed support for regulating the
term “organic” in Ontario, in principle
77 percent of all producer respondents
73 percent of CSA producers
69 percent of non-certified producers
46 percent of non-certified producers under
$20,000
Do you support organic regulation?

12. Comments
from
Respondents
“Organic products should mean certified. If they are beyond organic, they
should still certify to prove it.”
“I believe in regulating the term in principle, but it depends how the term
'organic' is defined.”
“The current environment is confusing for consumers and also creates a
disincentive for producers to certify because they have no need for direct
market selling. This leaves a huge gap in who is certified and leaves room
for practices that would not align with the current organic standard.”
“I do agree that the term should be regulated. However, those of us
growing following the Organic Standard who cannot afford the cost of
certification could be penalized, even though we are following and often
exceeding the requirements of the Standard. It is unfair that the cost of
certification is prohibitive and that we could be penalized for advertising
our products as organic, which they are.”

13. How Long Should a Grace Period Be?
(Producers)
67 percent saying it would
be either very or somewhat
important for there to be a
grace period.
About 33 percent said it
would not be very important
or would not be important
at all.
Regulation Grace Period

14. Certification Challenges
What do you see as the major barriers to transitioning to organic production?
● 75 percent: certification too expensive
● 50 percent: burden of paperwork involved
● Other high-ranking responses:
○ certifying by product too expensive for diversified farms (41 %),
○ organic standards don't communicate their values-“beyond organic”(39%),
○ non-certified businesses undercut those who are certified (39%),
certification system is too difficult to navigate (37%),
○ regulations are too restrictive (37%).

15. Potential Support
Options Presented to
Respondents
1. Peer Review and Participant
Guarantee System
2. Self-Declaration/Pledge
3. Low-Risk Designation
4. Financial and Logistical
Supports
5. Third-Party Approaches to
Small-Scale Certification
6. Changing National Regulations
to Include Small-Scale and/ or
Low-Risk Designations

16. Ranking Support Options
Peer Review
Low-Risk
“Organic farmers know what another organic farmer's production should
look like and are in a good position to judge compliance. As long as rules
can be made so that two farmers do not constantly inspect each other –
there should be policies in place to ensure there is an objective, arm's length
relationship.”
“There are no other certified organic producers or peers in my area and
therefore may not be dialled in to our specific challenges. Not sure this will
be enough accountability for the public and could be a source of conflict
between producers as well.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Better than previous options. Should start with several years of
inspection. Should be limited to direct to consumer.”
“This approach seems like a good compromise between fully inspected full
certification and voluntary/no-inspection models.”
“As with the previous option, this is confusing to consumers. Either you are
organic or you are not.”

17. Ranking Support Options
Pledge
Supports
“I think this could work if there was a one in five year audit system to show
the consumer accountability”
“Too cumbersome and could be manipulated. Long-time Organic farmers
don't want to take mandatory training.”
“Self declaration is nonsense. That's what people are doing right now... it's
easy to lie. Maybe you could inspected every 2 years, but people need to be
held accountable. And there can't be two standards.”
--------------------------------------
“” I think this subsidy support should be paired with a low-cost certification
option for small farms doing direct-to-consumer and within province
sales.”
“I suggest that funding be made available for technical and extension
support and this be available for the first 3 years.”
“The problem is that certifying agents raise their prices/costs because they
know that you are being subsidized.”

18. Ranking Support Options
“Third Party”
National Changes
“Many small scale farmers are cutting edge and grow in an experimental
way that does not mimic large scale commodity type farming which
current organic standards (per product) measure.”
“One regulation does not fit all. There is always a push for one regulation
to fit all but that generally means the regulations fit the larger and push
the smaller out.”
“I don't think we should "weaken" the Standards necessarily. But, the
Standards should be amended to consider the contexts of small and large
scale farms, including relevant requirements for all scale levels. In some
cases, the requirements will be the same (no GMOs, for example), but in
others, there may be slightly different requirements based on size of
operation.”
“Either a farm is organic or it isn't - just confusing to have various types of
certification. It would be best to offer reduction in costs or grants to small-
scale farmers to get certified.”

19. Ranking Support Options (by Suitability to Respondents’ Businesses)

20. What factors are most important in drafting a tailored support program?

21. What are your
preferred marketing
supports for small-
scale producers?

22. Results and Recommendations
● Address the cost of certification for small-scale farms
● Explore a low-risk designation for Ontario
● Consider reviewing COR guidelines for small-scale
● Additional technical, administrative, and training
supports

23. Future webinar topics include:
• Aquaponics/Hydroponics-Oct 10th, 12pm
• Parallel Production and Transition-Oct 24th, 12pm
• Poultry and Access to Outdoors-Nov. 14th, 12pm
• Organic Cannabis-Nov. 28th, 12pm
Stay up to date or register for our
#YourStandardsYourSay webinars at
www.organiccouncil.ca/YourStandardsYourSay
To suggest or sponsor a webinar topic, please contact
Carolyn Young: carolyn@organiccouncil.ca.

24. Vendor Verification @ Evergreen Brick Works
Cameron Dale
What prompted this pilot?
• Vendor and customer concern in the wake of Marketplace & subsequent articles.
What were the main concerns?
• That customers were not easily able to identify which farmers grew what, and
how they were growing it e.g. organic, biodynamic, chemical free etc.
• That all farmers in the community were growing all the products they sell
(outside of the allowed minimum of resold products)

25. What did customers want?
● Transparency in growing methods and sourcing
● Transparency in how verification processes were carried out
● A system that supported all farmers, regardless of size & certification
● Signage that was;
• Easy to understand (using layman's terms)
• Easy to read
• Consistent through the year

26. ‘Vendors who display this
sign are following the
principles of organic
production as laid out in
the Canadian Organic
Standards (2006). These
vendors have all been
inspected this year by
approved by 3rd party
inspection agencies
recognised by the
Canadian Food
Inspection Agency’
‘Vendors who display
this sign are MyPick
certified. MyPick is a
province-wide program
which inspects
members to ensure they
sell only what they
grow, raise or otherwise
produce on their farms.’
‘Biodynamic
agriculture is a form of
alternative agriculture
very similar to organic
farming, but
includes esoteric concept
s such as an astrological
planting calendar.
Vendors displaying this
sign carry certification
from Demeter Canada,
Canada’s sole 3rd party
biodynamic inspection
agency.’
‘Each season, vendors
who do not carry 3rd
party certification are
visited by either the
Public Market team or
another farmer from
within the market
community to ensure
they are growing and
raising all produce
brought to market and
employing ethical and
sustainable production
methods.’
‘Vendors displaying this
sign have achieved LFP
certification as part of
their community
inspection. LFP
certified vendors must
reduce or eliminate
pesticide use, treat their
animals well, conserve
soil and water, protect
wildlife habitat, reduce
energy use and provide
safe and equitable
working conditions for
their staff.’

27. • 70% of respondents said they would be prepared for an inspection to take
between 2 hours and 2.5 hours in total
• 50% of respondents said they would be willing to travel up to an hour to carry
out an inspection.
• 50% of respondents said they would be comfortable visiting and inspecting any
farmer regardless of their type of operation. 30% said that they would be willing
to inspect any farmer as long as they had extensive instructions & supporting
documents. 20% said they would not feel comfortable assessing a farmer
producing different products than the ones they produce themselves.
Vendor Survey: pilot group of 15 farmers

28. What happens during a visit?

29. Findings so far (pilot stage)
• Increased trust amongst internal community
• Opportunities for learning and knowledge-sharing helping farmers to build
stronger bonds across the community
• Has allowed market team to comprehensively track origin of products at market
• Over 75% of public asked stated this has improved their confidence in what they
are buying, the people they are buying it from and the market as a whole

30. What happens next?

31. Thank you!
If you enjoyed this
presentation and would like
to participate in similar
events in the future, please
consider joining or donating
to The Organic Council of
Ontario or Canadian Organic
Growers!
Fill out a quick survey about
the webinar.