Update on Aquaponic Organic Certification in Canada

Recently, the Standards Council of Canada published a new organic standard for aquaculture to help make organic seafood more widely recognizable. However, this label presents its own set of challenges when it comes to organic certification. Most importantly, vegetables and fruits grown in aquaponic systems can be certified organic under the organic aquaculture standard, even though this would not be allowed under the Canadian Organic Standards (COS). Understandably, this has created some challenges.

Under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, aquaponic products can now be legally labelled as organic if they are certified by an approved certifying body in accordance with the organic aquaculture standard. According to the CFIA, producers are encouraged to provide voluntary information about which standard the product was certified under. Organic labelling is necessary if a company wishes to export its products outside of its province of production. However, since aquaponics are newly regulated, aquaponic producers will get a grace period of 24 months once the Regulations come into effect on Jan. 15, 2019, during which organic producers will not have to be certified.

Original Source: by Will Baigent & Cecilia Stuart