Organic Report Fall 2021 - Flipbook - Page 44
request that CFIA issue a directive to make it mandatory
that any broker/importer/distributor involved in the trade
(legal possession) of bulk goods be certified to COR.
Mandatory Organic Transaction Certificates
COTA would like to see CFIA issue a directive that the
COR system requires transaction certificates as soon as
possible. The insight gained by the transaction certificates
would help to track fraudulent product as it flows from
operator to operator. Those who cannot produce
transaction certificates are clearly suspect operators, and
this would be a helpful tool for the CFIA inspectors as well
as the Certification bodies.
Database Like the EU Traces System
To be aware of products entering the country before they
are even on the water/in the truck crossing the border into
Canada, having a database requiring the same level of
organic data as the EU Traces system would give insight to
CFIA (and potentially the Certification Bodies) on
imported goods entering the country. It would also help
with determining volumes and value of imported goods,
providing insights on whether some products are simply
too cheap to be certified organic in a foreign jurisdiction.
Mandatory Exclusion from Organic for
five years if decertified
In its recommendations on Gazette I of the Safe Food for
Canadian Regulation, COTA suggested that Canada follow
the NOP’s excellent practice of banning operators for five
years if they have been decertified by an accredited
certification body. This would stop the leapfrogging that
fraudulent operators are able to do once one certification
body decertifies them and they then simply sign up with
another certification body.
National Database for Organic Integrity
The U.S. Organic Integrity database continues to be a top
priority for the sector. As was witnessed with the NOP
withdrawing from the NPOP Recognition Arrangement
with India, this tool can be a very useful indicator for
industry to use in reference to ensure their products are
compliant.
Tia Loftsgard is the Executive Director
of the Canada Organic Trade Association.
*
All of COTA’s publicly available reports — free and paid
— can be purchased and downloaded from COTA’s online
store. This includes market reports, production data, and
policy reports. Become a COTA member and receive a
generous discount to access this important research
(canada-organic.com).
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Organic Report • Fall 2021
