Customers
Organic grain
The fastest growing segment of the food industry today is organic. Around the world, more and more consumers want products made with organically grown crops. This trend is also being seen in the bread and pasta industries. Increasingly end-product buyers are asking for foods made from organic wheat and durum.
Western Canadian farmers are world leaders in the production of organic wheat, durum and barley and are able to meet processors needs with high quality organic grains.
In the last five years, organic production in Western Canada has grown exponentially. In 2003 more than 326 005 hectares on the Canadian Prairies were managed under organic production practices. All classes of wheat, durum and barley that are available conventionally in Western Canada are also available as certified organic.
Canada has a National Organic Standard that was first adopted by the Canadian federal government in 1999. The Canadian standard is currently being re-written to harmonize with organic standards in Japan, the European Union, and the United States. The Canadian government is also working to implement a nationally regulated organic certification regime to replace the current voluntary system in order to meet the requirements of international trading partners.
There are 45 organic certification bodies operating in Canada. The various bodies are currently accredited by provincial governments, the Standards Council of Canada, or the United States Department of Agriculture. Depending on the farmer and grain company, some grain may also carry Japanese Agriculture Standard (JAS) certification. Once the Canadian national regulatory system is in place, accreditation will also be overseen by the federal government. An overview of Canadian certifiers is available by contacting the CWB.
CWB organic marketing manager Donna Youngdahl is available as a resource to help customers with their organic purchasing needs. She can assist in contacting Canadian companies that specialize in selling organic grain and can answer questions about organic standards and growing practices.
For more information or to buy organic grain grown in Canada contact:
Donna Youngdahl
E-mail: donna_youngdahl@cwb.ca