How to Become Certified Organic
To become certified organic, you first need to understand what it means to farm organically. Then, to legally sell your products as organic, your operation must be certified by an accredited third-party certifying body.
Getting started: Familiarize yourself with the Canadian Organic Standards and Regulations.
The Canadian Organic Standards define the practices that must be followed by organic producers and processors while the regulations define how all parties involved in certification make sure that requirements are met.
Organic farming means:
Next steps: Complete the certification process.
1. Choose a Certification Body.
The Canada Food Inspection Agency maintains a list of Certification Bodies. Certification bodies active in Atlantic Canada include, but are not limited to, Ecocert, Pro-Cert, Atlantic Certified Organic (the Atlantic chapter of TransCanada Certified Organic), Centre for Systems Integration, and Organic Crop Improvement Association.
You will be working closely with your certification body so take time to find a good fit. Contact a few different organizations and talk to other farmers about their experiences. Ideally your certification body should be available to answer your questions about the standards and regulations; be familiar with your type of operation and markets; provide online forms outlining record keeping requirements; and have a fee structure that works for your needs.
2. Develop your organic system plan.
The organic system plan will be part of your certification application. Think about how you will manage your farm in terms of soil health, fertility, weed, pest and disease management, equipment use, crop storage, animal health management, and your preferred record keeping system. (Do not underestimate the importance of a record keeping system that you are comfortable using every day!) Your plan may involve slowly transitioning parts of your farm to organic, which is fine, as long as you plan to eventually transition the whole operation to organic.
3. Complete an application for certification.
Obtain and fill out an application from your chosen certification body. The certification body will review your application. They may ask for additional information or note areas of concern. They will confirm the time required for you to transition your land and animals, if applicable.
Once the application is complete, a verification officer will conduct a farm inspection and submit a report to the certification body.
The certification body will review the inspection report and, if all requirements are met, a certificate will be issued.
How long does it take to become a certified organic operator?
Transition times will depend on your specific circumstances. Review the Canadian Organic Standards and consult with your certification body. Be patient, transitioning does take time.
The following excerpts are from the 2020 Canadian Organic Standards: