Canada: Organic veggies might be scarce

Organic produce will likely be pricier this winter and some vegetable bins could even be empty because the Canadian border is now closed to "organic" veggies containing sodium nitrate, the organics industry is warning.

But the sector is split on whether the development is a good thing for consumers.

The use of sodium nitrate is permitted under U.S. organic rules, but Canada's new mandatory standards won't let producers use the organic label in Canadian stores if the produce is grown in soil enriched with the natural substance. Like the European Union, Canada considers sodium nitrate to be the equivalent of a synthetic fertilizer because it is highly soluble and leaches from the soil.

Canada's mandatory organic products regulations began in July, but the industry expected a two-year grace period under a stream of commerce policy to allow for a transition away from sodium nitrate. It is commonly used by large-scale organic growers in California as a fertilizer during unfavourable fall and winter conditions to secure a third crop every year.

But the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued an immediate decree to its growers that it can no longer export this produce to Canada under a new equivalence agreement with the Canadian government.

Laura Telford, national director of the Canadian Organic Growers, applauds the USDA's hard-line approach, saying consumers are better off knowing produce certified as organic in Canada no longer contains sodium nitrate.

"It runs contrary to organic principles. It's a quick fix, an easy way to get nitrogen into the system," said Telford, whose group lobbied Agriculture Canada to "take a zero-tolerance" approach during equivalency negotiations with its U.S. counterpart.

Telford said the likely short-term effect on consumers will be higher prices on organic produce throughout the winter months; 80 per cent of all vegetables sold in Canada during the season come from California, and Telford estimates that only five of the large-scale organic producers have stopped using sodium nitrate.


Source: montrealgazette.com

Publication date: 11/5/2009

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