vol. 5, no. 4 fall 2002 · 2014-12-23 · vol. 5, no. 4 fall 2002 president’s message: agm coabc...

Vol. 5, No. 4 Fall 2002

President’s Message: AGM

COABC in 2003

Healthy Soil

Soil Testing 101

Cyber-Help for Farmers

May or Must?

IFOAM Review

Building EnvironmentallySustainable Agriculture

COABC, #8A, 100 Kalamalka Lake Rd. Vernon BC V1T 9G1

Office Report

OAS Report

Farmer to Farmer

Farm Food Safety

HACCP and Organics

Farmers’ Market Meeting

HRH Addresses IFOAM

Standards Changes

AGM Registration

BC Organic Grower, Volume 5, Number 4, Fall 2002

Summer is supposed to be a quiet period for theCOABC. Everyone is busy farming ... no time forprojects and programs. Well, that seems to havechanged this year.

For one thing, there was IFOAM in August.Everyone who was able to go agrees it was awonderful experience. The COABC booth at boththe Congress and at the World Exhibition wasone of the busiest. This was partly due to itswonderful appearance. Thanks, Jovanka! Thefree Sunrise apples donated by CawstonCold Storage on behalf of some of theorganic growers in Cawston alsohelped. And probably the mostimportant was the friendly, help-ful volunteers who staffed thebooth. Many helped but IngridNorthwood, Steve Gallagher,Paddy Doherty and TedBuchan devoted a tremen-dous amount of energy andtime and we thank them.Thanks too, to LeoDeschamps who was a goodneighbour at the WorldExhibition.

There is an interesting footnoteto the World Exhibition. This twoday event of thousands of partici-pants and visitors mostly pursuingfood-oriented interests – i.e. buyingand eating organic food products – man-aged after recycling to generate only 65pounds of garbage!

Then there was the Food Safety survey whichwas carried on throughout the summer. See LeeMcFadyen’s report on page 22.

The Trust technical committee, a.k.a. theOrganic Sector Development Program commit-tee, has also been hard at work during the sum-mer, and was able to approve two projects: activ-ities at IFOAM to promote the BC Organic sec-tor, and the first stage of development of a mar-keting strategy – sometimes called theCheckmark project. Both of these responded topriorities in the Strategic Plan. The committee is

made up of Herman Bruns, Hans Buchler, BenBrandsema, Cathleen Kneen and myself fromCOABC. Jo Ann Sandhu is the BCMAFF repre-sentative, Tracy Innes represents Agricultureand Agri-Food Canada, and Walter Goerzen hasbeen appointed as Investment Ag’s ex-officiorepresentative. Kristen Kane has been hired ona part time basis to administer the project.(Shecan be contacted at the COABC office.)

Funds are to be allocated according to the prior-ities and categories outlined in the

Strategic Plan, but are not limited tothose initiated by COABC itself. If

you have an idea for a projectwhich may be eligible for fund-ing through the Trust, contactKristen at the office for moreinformation.

The experience of develop-ing the IFOAM and market-ing projects made it clearthat while there are anumber of projects COABCneeds to undertake to fulfillthe Strategic Plan, theBoard does not have the vol-

unteer resources to writethese proposals, find the

matching funds and overseetheir initial implementation.

Some of the administrative monieswere therefore allocated to hire a pro-

ject developer. A competition was heldand Gunta Vitins was hired. Under the directionof the Board, she will be writing proposals forthe areas described in Sections 5 and 6 of theStrategic Plan.

See the special issue of the BCOG July 2002 formore details on the Strategic Plan.

The next big event for COABC will be the AGMFebruary 8th til 10th in White Rock. If you haveattended an AGM before, you don’t need me toconvince you to try and come. If you haven’ttaken part before, make this year the one to doit. No matter what form or venue we have usedfor our AGM, they have all been well worth

President’s Message by Linda Edwards

10thAnniversary

AGM Upcoming!February 14th to 16th, 2003

at Camp AlexandraCrescent Beach, White Rock, BC

Registration Deadline January 24

Keynote Addresswill be by Bob Williams of the VanCity

Community Foundation on thetheme Organic Agriculture &

Sustainable CommunityDevelopment.


BC Organic Groweris received by all members of organi-zations belonging to the CertifiedOrganic Association of BritishColumbia. BC Organic Grower ispublished quarterly by COABC.

Letters & submissions to:Cathleen Kneen, EditorS6 C27 RR#1Sorrento BC V0E 2W0phone/fax: [email protected]

Advertising (rates & copy) &non-member subscriptions($20/year plus $1.40 GST) to:COABC #8-A 100 Kalamalka Lake Rd.Vernon BC V1T 9G1phone: 250-260-4429fax: [email protected]

For general information or to contactyour local Certifying Body, call theoffice – or check our website:www.CertifiedOrganic.bc.ca

Cover Photo: Tim Ewert’s horsesgrind their own feed. BrewsterKneen photo.

Layout & Design: Rebecca [email protected]

Disclaimer:Products advertised in the BCOGare not necessarily approved foruse by organic farmers/processors.Please consult the Materials List.

Next Issue Theme:Soil & Seeds

Canadian PublicationsMail Agreement#40047167

attending, even though some may have been better than oth-ers. Part of the reward is information gained, opinions heardand expressed and knowing you are participating in thefunctioning of this wonderful and vital organization. Anotherand maybe even more important aspect is the fun and fel-lowship that occurs.

This year we are reverting to a tried and true format, withworkshops as well as a business meeting and social event –on the model of Naramata and Parksville. The AGMCommittee is hard at work trying to confirm a roster of veryexciting speakers. The general framework is on page 30 nextto the registration form. Final details of speakers, workshopsand timetable will be circulated to CBs as soon as they areavailable, and will be sent directly to all registered partici-pants. In the meantime, do send in your registration. Therewill be room for only 80 registrants – so don’t be disappoint-ed!

This will also be my last AGM as your President. It has beena fascinating, challenging, and ultimately enjoyable twoyears. I wish all the best to the next President – and I sup-pose I am looking forward, just a little bit, to having somemore time for farming!

Standards Review ready for comment

The Standards Review Committee members are nominated by eachCertifying Body and appointed at the Annual General Meeting. Theymeet throughout the year and must circulate a draft of any changesto the membership of the CBs for six weeks for feedback before finalratification. Changes are implemented on January 1 of each year.

The Standards Review Committee has completed its initial review ofnumber of issues, and a document was posted to the COABC web-site on November 1 for public review and comment up toDecember 15, 2002. This document is on pages 28-30 of this issueof the BCOG. It can also be viewed at the COABC website<www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca> in the “what’s new” section. Pleasetake at look at the proposed standards changes and send your com-ments to the COABC office.

The proposed organic land management and greenhouse standardsare available from the website (as above) or in print from the officein first draft form. That means no decision is going to be made thisyear, but people who are interested should read them and sendtheir comments to the Standards Review Committee via the COABCoffice.

Remember that every CB needs to nominate a member of theStandards Committee as well as a Director for the COABC Board atthe AGM!

�


At the last Annual General meeting of theCOABC, the changing nature of certifying bod-ies, the theory of proportional representation,and the need to re-examine the structure of theBoard was discussed at some length. BobMcCoubrey wrote an excellent article summariz-ing this in the Spring issue of the BC OrganicGrower. This topic has also been on the agendaof the last two Board conference calls.

What is described here is what the Board feelswill be the best way for the organization to func-tion in a democratic fashion – at least for thenext year or so. It will be monitored and adaptedas needed depending on the continual changesoccurring in the organic movement.

the things which will not change

� As decreed in our by-laws, only certifyingbodies can be voting members on the COABCBoard.

� Each certifying body currently sending aBoard member to the COABC will continue to beeligible to do so.

� These representatives will continue, as theydo now, to be the majority on the Board.

what will change

� Certifying bodies will be able to elect one rep-resentative for every 50 members instead of onerepresentative per certifying body.

As a movement, we have always prided our-selves on democratic governance. However, rep-resentation on the Board from the existing CBsis no longer equitable. There are certifying bodieswith as few as 15 members and one with 150 +.Currently each sends one representative to theBoard. It is felt that the idea proposed at thelast AGM of one Board member for every 50enterprises within its certification programwould correct this imbalance.

The number 50 works because it keeps thenumber of directors about the same as it is now.COAPA has already disbanded, and at least twocertifying bodies (OPACK and CROPS) and possi-bly one or two others will take the final step

towards disbanding as a certifying body whenproportional representation is adopted. Thesecertifying bodies are currently sub-contractingtheir certification to PACS. Obviously reducingthe number of directors in any other way wouldnot work at this time and I don’t think anyonewould like to see a larger board. Fourteen peopleon a conference call is difficult enough!

In summary, every certifying body currently amember of COABC and carrying out its own cer-tification would continue to send one Boardmember to COABC as long as they had at leastthe legal requirement of 5 members and PACSwhich has more than 150 but less than 200would send 3. This would of course apply to anyother certification body that had 100 or moremembers. It would be simplest to set the num-ber eligible to be elected before each AGM whena new Board takes over. This would not changeduring the ensuing year even if a CB gained orlost 50 members.

COABC in 2003 and Beyond by Linda Edwards


� When proportional representation is adopted,certifying bodies contracting their certificationout to PACS would no longer be eligible to senda director to the Board. This could mean that ageographical region’s perspective is not repre-sented at the Board, even if PACS is careful toensure that its representatives are geographical-ly scattered.

The Board has therefore discussed a possibleincrease in associate members on the Board.This is what our by-laws say about that:

“ ‘Associate member’ means a society that is aconsumer advocacy organization or an environ-mental advocacy group that has met the associ-ate membership criteria of the society. TheMinistry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food ofBC is a permanent associate member of thesociety. Associate members do not vote and arenot liable for fees or dues. An associate membermay appoint an ex-officio director to the board ifapproved by the directors to do so.”

Jo Ann Sandhu is the provincial associate mem-ber. Cathleen Kneen is the only other associatemember on the Board representing a range ofenvironmental and consumer advocacy groups.

The Board feels geographic representation onthe COABC is important. This could be takencare of if PACS members represent the areas for-merly represented by CBs which are no longercertifying. However, with more CBs opting forPACS certification, and an increasing member-ship of processors who also need to be repre-sented at the Board, there is a concern that bio-regional perspectives may be lost. Where there isno certifying body in an area, one possibleoption for geographical representation might beto encourage non-certifying organic organiza-

tions to represent geographic areas that are notrepresented by a certifying body. These organi-zations could be part of the Board as associatemembers.

We have also discussed from time to time toextending Associate membership to like-mindedgroups like the SPCA but have never reached adecision one way or the other on that. TheBoard has agreed that Associate membersshould never exceed 25% of the COABC mem-bership. Acceptance of applications for Associatemembership are at the discretion of the Board.

Under our current by-laws, the directors of theCOABC (being the official representatives of allmember bodies) are empowered to make anydecisions relating to COABC at any meeting.Directors will be reaching their decisions basedon discussions with their memberships. Pleasedirect your ideas and comments to them or tothe Board as a whole via the office. Kristen Kanewill pass on any general comments to all of us.We would like to finalize this issue at ourDecember conference call/meeting so that theCBs will be able to elect their representativesbefore the AGM in February. �

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Perhaps members of the B.C. Certified Organicprogram have personally-developed approachesto soil health assessment?

Certainly the concept of soil health and itsassessment in organic farming systems is one ofgreat interest not only in assuring the integrityof organic agriculture, but also in sharing localknowledge, exploring the possibilities of integrat-ing scientific and farmer knowledge in soilhealth research, and building capacity for soilstewardship and sustainability.

Your insights into soil health assessment onB.C. organic farms are requested to contributeto the development of a Master’s thesis research,and to the anticipated organization of soil healthworkshop(s).

Please contact Julia Jamieson [email protected] or ph. 604-682-6911.

1. Romig, D., Garlynd, M. and Harris, R. 1996. Farmer-

Based Assessment of Soil Quality: A Soil Health

Scorecard. In: Doran, J. and Jones, A. (eds.). Methods for

Assessing Soil Quality, SSSA Special Publication Number

49, pp.39-60. Soil Science Society of America, Inc.:

Madison, Wisconsin.

2. BCMAFF’s online extension service:

http://infobasket.gov.bc.ca/Infoman/communities/com-

munity.asp?UserID=2&

3. RCBTOA:

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/rcbtoa/training/soil.htm

Julia Jamieson will be leading a workshop on SoilHealth with Art Bomke at the AGM.

“How do you recognize a healthy soil?”

This was the question posed to farmers byUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison researchers in1995 in an effort to develop approaches to soilhealth assessment that integrate farmer and sci-entist knowledge1. The researchers discoveredthat farmers have a complex understanding ofsoil health which integrates chemical, physical,and biological properties of soils, plants, ani-mals/humans, and water. This research led tothe development of a soil health scorecard whichuses descriptive, locally-relevant indicatorsbased on farmer knowledge and language, andis intended for soil health assessment by farm-ers without technical or laboratory equipment.

Murmurs in the B.C. organic community sug-gest a desire by some members to improve theirunderstanding of soil health and to investigatealternative soil health assessment strategies.The InfoBasket Organics Community2 and theRural Capacity Building Through OrganicAgriculture (RCBTOA) website3 provide a start-ing point for investigating different approachesto soil health. For example:

� ATTRA’s Sustainable Soil Management -Soil Systems Guide is an overview of theproperties of sustainable (‘living’) soils, man-agement and monitoring steps, and casestudies of successful soil stewards. It alsorefers to the Soil Foodweb approach whichinvolves laboratory analysis of soil organismpopulations.

� The Savory Centre for HolisticManagement’s “Simple Ways to Assess SoilHealth” is a sensory approach to soil healthassessment, and requires only water and ashovel.

� The Solvita® Soil Life Test uses “patentedcolormetric CO2-Gel technology in a safeand easy-to-use test process” to measuresoil biological respiration.

� The Soil Quality Institute’s Soil QualityTest Kit uses simple tools to perform 12 on-farm tests of physical, chemical and biologi-cal soil properties.

Healthy Soil by Julia Jamieson

Pacific Agricultural Certification Society#8-A 100 Kalamalka Lk. Rd. Vernon BC

Tel: 250-558-7927 Fax: 250-260-4436email: [email protected]

www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/CA/pacs_list.asp

ProfessionalA c c re d i t e dCertification

Services


You’d be hard pressed to find any farmer whowasn’t familiar with the notion of soil testing. It’sthe creed for most agricultural extensionists andcrop consultants. Soil test. Soil test. Soil test.Yetsurprisingly, for many producers, includingorganic farmers, the management practice ofregular soil testing (once every 3 to 4 years) isnot common. There are various reasons for this.A minority of producers do not link thepotential economic benefit of cateringyour fertility regime to soil test recom-mendations, and therefore view soiltesting as an additional expense.Some find it difficult to interpretsoil test lab reports. Many organicproducers find conventional soiltest lab reports frustratingbecause they are not practical fortheir production systems, or con-sider them to be a superficialassessment of soil health and thus apoor indicator of crop productionpotential.

Nevertheless, mandatory soil testing is arequirement for some organic certifying bodies,and the new National Organic Standards willlikely mandate soil testing every three years. Forthose farmers and gardeners who are uncom-fortable with soil testing, here are some basicpointers.

What do I need to take a soil test?

All you really need is a soil probe or shovel, abucket (preferably made of plastic or non-galva-nized metal), boxes or bags (often provided by

soil test labs), and a waterproof marker for label-ing. If boxes aren’t available Ziploc bags aresuitable.

How many samples are enough?

A soil sample is most effective when it accurate-ly represents the area of the soil being sampled.Composite samples of several individual samples

within a field area are a good way to obtainrepresentative samples. Sample cores

should be collected from 15 to 20 ran-dom spots for every 20 acres. Avoidsampling near roads, fencerows,highly eroded areas, etc. Do notinclude soil from both high yield-ing areas and low yielding areas inthe same composite sample, asrecommendations for these areaswould vary. This may seem very

tedious, but keep in mind that thislittle 1 kg sample is representing over

20 million kg of soil.

The depth of sampling is somewhat depen-dent on field management practices. If the fieldis to be worked only the top two inches or ispastureland then a 10 cm (4-inch) samplingdepth is adequate. For soils worked or tilled, theproper sampling depth would be just less than15 cm (6 inches). Soils will generally drop interms of fertility the deeper you go. So samplestaken too deep may make it appear you needmore fertility than is truly the case.

When and how often do I take my samples?

A soil sample every 3 or 4 years may be suffi-cient to provide general indication of fertility,but will not provide detailed analysis for veryspecific management decisions. If you want tomonitor soil improvement of a particular area orare attempting to produce a very high qualityproduct then more frequent soil testing would berecommended. Remember, taking the soil test isonly half the battle; if you haven’t taken the timeor don’t have the money to implement initial soiltest recommendations, then don’t waste moretime and money on taking more soil tests.

Soil Testing 101 by Av Singh

continued on page 8...

Thesoil’s ability

to resist erosion,buffer pollutants,

and cycle nutrientsare important in

assessing soilhealth


Many organic producers view standard soil testsas “treating the symptom” management, anddesire better evaluation tools that can help assesswhether their farming practices are leading to ahealthy soil system. Increased awareness of theimportance of measuring non-chemical parame-ters has led to several on-farm test kits and test-ing equipment. On-farm soil test kits capable ofassessing soil respiration, infiltration, bulk densi-ty’ electrical conductivity, soil pH, soil nitrate,aggregate stability, soil slaking, earthworm activi-ty, topsoil depth, compaction, root development,water salinity, and nitrate/nitrite levels in water,are available in the US. In reviewing the diversityof the above soil quality parameters, it is clearthat the crop productivity is not the only factor.The soil’s ability to resist erosion, buffer pollu-tants, and cycle nutrients are also important inassessing soil health.

There is an additional benefit in promoting non-chemical indicators of soil health. The standardsoil test has effectively demonstrated the impor-tance of macronutrients in crop productivity.Increasing farmer knowledge about soil parame-ters such as biological activity and soil structuremay lead to more innovative farming practicesthat promote a well-balanced soil system.

Frequency of sampling is also dependent on soiltype, crop rotation, and climatic factors.Sandier soils have greater fluctuations in nutri-ent levels and require more frequent soil tests.Crops such as silage corn and alfalfa removelarge quantities of potassium, requiring moresoil sampling. Crops grown under irrigationrequire more frequent sampling, so you mightthink the converse would be true for soils underdrought conditions. Actually, droughty soilsrequire frequent soil testing because of the vari-ability in the uptake of available nitrogen.

Soil can be tested at any convenient time, but isdone primarily in the fall after harvest, whichpermits enough time to get the analysis backfrom the lab and make plans for the next grow-ing season. Often organic producers alter theircrop rotation or choose to include greenmanures and underseeded crops in response tosoil tests.

How do I interpret my results?

The standard soil test (readily available throughuniversity, provincial government, or commer-cial labs) provides data on soil nutrient levels(N,P,K, Ca, Mg) and a few soil chemical charac-teristics (soil organic matter, pH,base saturation, and cationexchange capacity). Theseparameters form the basis offertilizer and liming recommen-dations for a subsequent crop.However, translating the resultsof a standard soil test into use-ful organic fertilizer recommen-dations is not a simple matter.In the US, there are several pri-vate labs and a few public labsthat are issuing organic recom-mendations or formulas to helpconvert conventional recommen-dations into organic manage-ment. Also, the PEI Departmentof Agriculture and Forestry hasinitiated a program to helporganic producers develop anorganic nutrient managementplan based on fertility recom-mendations using only certifiedorganic amendments.

�

OACC research assistant, Alain Joseph, samples the soil in the fall after harvest.The depth of the soil probe is approximately 15cm. Twenty or more soil cores of a

given area are combined to form a composite sample, then mixed and a representa-tive subsample is submitted for testing.

continued from page 7


PACIFIC NATURAL BRAND

Pacific Natural is a cold processed, enzymatically digested fresh fish fertilizer produced fromthe pacific dogfish at our plant in Delta, B.C. When applied to the soil, PN performs as anatural bio-stimulant, with the enzymes biologically unlocking nutrients contained in the soil.Because the natural oils and collagens have not been removed, our fertilizer does not leechout into the local water table, but remains in the soil providing a time-release effect. Inaddition to being a root-feeder, PN is suitable as a foliar spray and compost starter.

PN is completely natural, other than the addition of 3% phosphoric acid needed for pHstabilization. For application, it is mixed with water at a ratio of at least 10 parts waterto 1 part PN in order to bring the pH level to neutral to initiate bio-activity. PN has beenfiltered through an 80-mesh screen and can be applied through conventional methodsincluding aerial spraying and underground drip systems.

Application rate: 5-10 gallons of undiluted PN per acre (diluted at least 10:1, 3 times per year)

Pacific Natural is a cold processed, enzymatically digested fresh fish fertilizer produced fromthe pacific dogfish at our plant in Delta, B.C. When applied to the soil, PN performs as anatural bio-stimulant, with the enzymes biologically unlocking nutrients contained in the soil.Because the natural oils and collagens have not been removed, our fertilizer does not leechout into the local water table, but remains in the soil providing a time-release effect. Inaddition to being a root-feeder, PN is suitable as a foliar spray and compost starter.

PN is completely natural, other than the addition of 3% phosphoric acid needed for pHstabilization. For application, it is mixed with water at a ratio of at least 10 parts waterto 1 part PN in order to bring the pH level to neutral to initiate bio-activity. PN has beenfiltered through an 80-mesh screen and can be applied through conventional methodsincluding aerial spraying and underground drip systems.

Application rate: 5-10 gallons of undiluted PN per acre (diluted at least 10:1, 3 times per year)

To place an order or for further information, please contact Michelle – Bella Coola Fisheries Ltd.Phone: 604-583-3474 Fax: 604-583-4940 Email: [email protected]

The first phase of the Cyber Help for Organic Farmerswebsite is ready. Take a look and please tell us what youthink by using the feedback form on the site or sendingan email to <[email protected]>.

We have sent out our first edition of the project’s elec-tronic newsletter. If you did not receive it and would liketo be on that subscriber list, send an email to <[email protected]> and include the following in

the subject line “Add My Address to your NewsletterMailing List” .

Progress is being made on many fronts including thedevelopment of the cyber-help training tools. Feedbackto date has been very positive as well as constructive.

Rochelle Eisen will be leading a workshop onCyber-Help at the AGM

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/rcbtoa

See the Logo, See the Website


Issues both old and new make it time for a reex-amination of regulatory (aka mandatory) vs. vol-untary in regard to the use of organic/certifiedorganic in the marketplace.

Marketing direct to the consumer, over the farmgate or the tail-gate (farmers’ market or box pro-grams), is part of the stereotype of the organicfarmer. The fact is, however, that most organicproduce is not sold to consumers who know theproducer, but rather through retail outlets.Surveys indicate that only about 3% of organicproducts are sold through farmer’s markets andbox programs; farm gate sales, although difficultto accurately determine are very small; probablyless than 1%. Even at the farmers’ markets, thelink between the producer and the consumermay be tenuous or transitory at best.

Farm Certification was adopted to address thegap between producer and consumer, by assur-

ing the consumer that there was a process toverify that what was said to be done was in factoccurring. It soon became apparent that havinga multitude of different certified organic stan-dards was eroding whatever advantage certifica-tion was providing. This is why adopting a mini-mum set of standards by certifying groups, ini-tially on a geographical bias, then as a provinceand now on a national and international basishas became important to reduce confusion inthe market place.

Another change is about to occur. The US sup-plies 85-90% of the Canadian organic market.This product has been certified by 40 or morecertifying bodies. Now under the NationalOrganic Program (NOP) all organic produce,regardless of certifier, will soon bear one label:USDA Certified Organic. Product certified byCCOF, Oregon Tilth, the different States etc.may (or may not) also add a secondary label, but

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Available Varieties:

Certified Organic by:Peace River Organic Producers

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Contact Marketing Director Erik Eising at 1-204-783-5922

Let us know if there is a variety that you want and we will try to list it for next year!

Elite 3: Rosara, Yukon GoldElite 4: Norland, Penta, Rode Eersteling

Foundation: Banana, Russian Blue

Elite 1:

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Desiree, Nooksack, Red Pontiac,

Rode Eersteling, Sangre,

Warba

May or Must? by Linda Edwards and Lee McFadyen with input from Paddy Doherty


the USDA label will be the primary and possiblythe only one. This is becoming a common prac-tice in many European countries as well. Thishas serious implications for BC, and Canadian,organic producers.

There are currently a multitude of certifyingbodies and labels in Canada. This point andthe problem with it was clearly illustrated tome last spring when I visited an friend whohas been a long time supporter of theorganic movement and purchasesorganic products whenever possible.She opened her fridge and cupboardsand brought out 6 different productswith 6 different certification labels – allof certification bodies located or oper-ating in Canada. She wanted to knowwhich one(s) were really certifiedorganic. Her second question was whycouldn’t there be just one label?

Another new issue is an increasingamount of organic product coming infrom overseas. Canada is one of the fewcountries in the world that does not have aregulatory program for the organic designa-tion. When Canadian organic producersexport their products to the UK (forinstance), they must follow strictly con-trolled procedures that ensure organicproducts entering the UK meet the UKminimum standard. There are no organiccriteria for imported organic products enteringCanada. Canadian organic producers often com-pete against imported organic products with noevident certification.

Furthermore, there are currently no rules for thedevelopment and operation of organic certifica-tion bodies in Canada. Anyone can open a CBand start certifying to whatever standard, usingwhatever procedures they feel like. Clients of for-eign certification bodies do not have to operateaccording to Canadian standards and proce-dures. There is no rule to stop a Canadian grow-er from getting their certification from anothercountry, often less restrictive standards than areavailable in Canada. If Canadian growers don’tlike the standards in Canada, they can get theircertification from somewhere else. For example,when the members of the COABC decided (aftermuch debate) that greenhouse crops must be

grown in soil-based media (as is the case in theUK), BC greenhouse operators simply began tocertify with California Certified Organic Farmers.Thus, there were hydroponically grown, certifiedorganic tomatoes, grown in BC and sold in BC,but certified from California. Since October 21 ofthis year in the US, all certifying bodies must

certify to the NOP standards in the US – butthis does not apply to what they do in

Canada.

While most growers in BC and inCanada are operating under certified

organic auspices, there is alsoproduct, both local and imported,labelled only as “organic” and thereare people operating outside ofinspection systems other thancomplaint driven ones. There areno figures available about theseoperators. They range from largecompanies who label everythingfrom shampoo to pet food as organ-ic to people selling $200 worth ofproduct a year from their farm gate.

Options

1Continuation of the above situation.

2Introduction of a regulatory programon a provincial level based on

COABC Standards for all producers, pro-cessors etc. in BC. This would include allCOABC members and anyone else in theprovince selling product with either ‘organic’ or‘certified organic’ claims. All other certifying bod-ies – Canadian and out-of-country – functioningin the province would also have to accept theCOABC standards as a minimum standard. Itwould also mean all organic/certified organicproduct being imported into BC would have tomeet the minimum standards. (Remember thatthis standard is operating under provincial legis-lation so this would be a perfectly reasonablecourse of action.)

3Introduction of a regulatory program on afederal level based on the Canadian

Standards for all producers, processors etc. inCanada. All other certifying bodies functioning



from the rules and regulations required over-all.However, they are still grappling with the finerdetails about how to cope with this and dealwith detecting and/or dealing with fraud.

In Summary:

Do We Need a Regulatory Program?

Linda says YES:

It is all about consumer confidence and fairnessamong producers making similar claims but notnecessarily bearing similar costs. Certifiedorganic has brought a respectability to the

movement that is vital for what surveys tell us is97% of the organic product sold. Those using‘organic’ only and operating outside the systemdefinitely benefit from–and can also be a threatto–the integrity of organic certification.

As noted above, there is currently no rule tostop a Canadian grower from getting their certi-fication from another country, often to lessrestrictive standards than are available inCanada. Those operating under certified organicsystems are thus at a disadvantage in the mar-ket, because their competition may be allowed touse materials and practices that they cannot.

A regulatory program would give the Canadianorganic sector and consumers some confidencethat imported organic products meet the samerigorous standards that are required of domesticorganic products.

in or importing into Canada would have toaccept the Canadian standards as a minimumstandard as well. Again, this would restrict both‘organic’ and ‘certified organic’ to products com-plying with the Standard.

4One or other (or both) of the above, with adistinction between those who wish to partic-

ipate and those who do not. In other words, any-one, local or foreign, who chose to use ‘CertifiedOrganic’ on their label would operate under amandatory system adhering to a minimum stan-dard (either BC or Canadian)with inspections etc. Thosewho grow organically and selldirectly to people who knowthem without any labelling atall would be totally unaffect-ed. Also, those who uselabelling/advertising etc.claiming to be ‘organic’ onlycould continue to do so. Theywould not have to belong to acertification body and the def-inition of what they weredoing would be their defini-tion. Any questioning of thiswould be on a complaintbasis only at which time theCanadian Food Inspectionagency could be called in.

This would mean, of course, that anyone big orsmall, local or foreign, could also operate underthis basis in this country.

It would also mean that those choosing or need-ing to be certified organic, and incurring theextra associated costs and work, would need toeducate the public about the difference between‘certified organic’ and ‘organic’. This would beimportant because study after study shows thatthe vast majority of consumers do not distin-guish between organic and certified organic.

In most countries in the world, use of‘organic/certified organic’ falls under a regulato-ry program with an inspection program, annualcertification review, adherence to a minimumstandard etc. The US has decreed that anyonegrossing under $5,000 per year will be exempt

...continued from page 11


A common label, whether it be the Check Mark,Canadian Organic or a combination of the two,would assist in building consumer awarenessand loyalty. US produce will very soon be carry-ing one simple, easily-understood label – andthere is lots and lots of it. If we want to be ableto sell our products in our own markets, weneed to give the consumers what they need: aneasy way to identify local organic products.

In summary, you do not have to be certified togrow organically. Certification is to sell product.So is the use of the words ‘organic’ or ‘certifiedorganic’ in whatever forms they are used in themarket place. If you can sell without use of thewords ‘organic’ or ‘certified organic’, then achoice to certify becomes one to support theconcept and the movement only. This is a validchoice, of course, but you could well decide thatit is not worth your while or the expense itincurs. However, if ‘organic/certified organic’ arewords that help you sell your product then theyhave a value and that value has a cost in termsof consumer confidence and fairness.

You don’t need to have a driver’s license for acar that only sits in the yard. However, if youwant to drive it anywhere off the property, youdo. If I tell Motor Vehicles that I only want alicense to drive to the Cawston store, they quiterightly won’t give me one at a reduced price orregulations. It is just as important that I under-stand and adhere to the same rules of the roadin driving to the Cawston store as in driving toVancouver. And I am glad they keep checking ona regular basis on some of our old timers whodo only drive to the Cawston store! Real worldtime/fair and safe world time!

Lee says NO

Organic: “designating a chemical compound con-taining carbon, of, like or derived from livingorganisms”. Perhaps future dictionaries will say,“an approach to farming”. Do we who use organ-ic methods have the right to, in essence, copy-right a word with several meanings? Is it reallyany different from Monsanto copyrighting theneem tree?

All of the above arguments are valid and wellthought out. I support the principles of certifiedorganically grown/processed etc but cannotaccept the principle of copyrighting a word that

has many uses. Organic growers need to certifyso that it is clearly understood by the market-place what is meant by ‘organic product’. Thecertification program identifies it and defines it.But we have to accept that some people willadvertise their product as organically grownwhen it is not certified because we do not ‘own’these principles, nor did we invent them. If thisis trade protectionism, which is practiced worldwide, then let’s call it that.

Certified organic standards were developed bymarketers and growers to set a standard fororganically grown products. Some growers prac-tice sound organic methods that comply withand sometimes exceed certification standardsand choose not to be part of a certification pro-gram. Some have a poor understanding of‘organics’ and this is in part the sector’s fault.Too often, in marketing and media, ‘organics’ arereduced to ‘no pesticides’. Their reasons vary,from not wanting to be involved with yet anotherbureaucracy to feeling that they do not need cer-tification because their customers have confi-dence in them. A few really have direct contactwith all their customers and the buyer is in aposition to make a judgment on the grower’sintegrity. Many growers in this category stillchoose to be certified, and their customersexpect it. Most farmers’ markets insist thatgrowers designating their product as organicmust be certified.

Certification used to be relatively simple, yougrew to a set of standards, were inspected andyou completed necessary paperwork which wasnot too onerous. Then a need for auditing theregional certifying bodies was identified and


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COABC was developed and the paperwork andbureaucracy grew.

Many products, particularly personal care prod-ucts, have long used the term ‘organic’ on theirlabel as the components that make up the prod-uct are from an ‘organic’ source, even ifpetroleum based. They make no claim that theingredients are ‘organically grown’ and this hasbecome misleading to consumers. We now see‘certified organic’ on personal care products andthis differentiates between an ingredient sourceor a production system for the ingredients.

The United States industry can buy certifiedorganic product from any country, repackage it


After all the hype, the IFOAM World Congress inVictoria in August was even better than expect-ed. Not only were there about 1500 of delegatesfrom 92 countries all around the world, butthere was masses of useful information avail-able. The congress agenda was jam-packed withtechnical presentations, posters, researchreports and workshop discussions on just aboutevery topic. A common theme was the tensionbetween ‘industrial’ and ‘community’ organicsor, how to make a living and maintain our prin-ciples at the same time. Given the number andrange of presentations, the focus was on infor-mation and in-depth discussion was to someextent relegated to the halls - which were con-stantly a-buzz.

The buzz extended to the COABC lobby booth,which swarmed with people from Benin, Nepal,and Nigeria, from New Zealand and Germany,Korea and Taiwan, keeping the volunteers busygiving out materials and answering questions.

BC Certified Organic products were showcasedat the evening reception in the BC Museum andat the banquet sponsored by Pro Organics.

The Organic World Exhibition on Saturday drewthousands of people and provided an opportuni-ty to show off BC organic products and to pro-

and it then becomes a product of the USA. Itmay well meet the USDA organic standard, butit still misleads the consumer. The product maywell have been produced by sound organicmethods with exploited labour, explaining why itcomes into Canada so far below our costs ofproduction.

Granted, exporters have to comply with whatev-er trade protectionist regulations are in force ifthey want to sell into a given country. Troubleis, there is usually a way around regulations.The arms embargo against South Africa justmeant that American arms arrived therethrough Israel. Real world time – not so fair andsafe time.

�

BC Certified Organic Makes a Splash at IFOAM 2002

mote the BC Certified Organic symbol to a gen-uinely interested public as well as the confer-ence delegates.

The closing ceremonies offered a standing ova-tion to event organiser, Anne Macey and thanksto the many volunteers who made the 14 IFOAMWorld Organic Congress such a success.Bernward Geier, IFOAM Director forInternational Relations, summed up the feelingof the international delegations for theirCanadian hosts by stating, ‘that though he didnot wish to cast aspersions toward previouscongresses’, this 14 IFOAM Organic WorldCongress will be remembered by him as ‘thewarmest and most hospitable of the previous 13he had attended’.

Proceedings of the Congress can be ordered from:Canadian Organic GrowersBox 6408, Station J Ottawa, ON K2A 3Y6<www.cog.ca>

Tapes of many of the presentations can beordered from Audio Archives Duplicators 100 West Beaver Creek, Unit 18 Richmond Hill,ON L4B 1H4 ph: 905-889-6555 <[email protected]>

�


Excerpted from a talk entitled “Harmonization with Land,Water, Air, and Human Communities in Rural/UrbanSettings: The Korean Experience” delivered in Kumamoto,Japan, October 2002. Kim Sung-Hoon is Professor ofChung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea and currently a visit-ing scholar at UBC. He was for two years the Minister ofAgriculture in the government of Kim Dae-Jung.

In addition to securing ample supplies of afford-able food for all, sustainable local agriculturehas performed numerous non-tradable func-tions such as ecological preservation, flood con-trol in the case of Asiatic paddy-farming, main-taining the economic viability of local communi-ties, conservation of landscape and culture,etc., all of which constitute the so-called ‘multi-functionality of agriculture’. The current marketsystem, however, fails to capitalize the truevalue of non-trade concerns and the multi-func-tions of agriculture. Without intervention ofproper policy measures to remedy this, smallscale family farming in densely-populated coun-tries might face the fading-out of community-

based agriculture in the foreseeable future.

A recent Korean government survey ofDecember, 2001 reveals a significantly increas-ing-trend of Environmentally FriendlyAgriculture (EFA) production ever since the gov-ernment officially began launching the EFA poli-cies and programs in 1999. For the 3 year peri-od of 1999 to 2001, the environmentally-friendlyagriculture production increased from 260 thou-sand M/T (1.1% of total production) to 526thousand M/T (2.7% of total). Total number ofEFA participating farm households reached 27thousand in the year 2001, approximately 2 per-cent of total farm households in Korea. In this3 year period, EFA production increased by 2.5times while eco-agricultural cultivation landarea and number of eco-agricultural farmersgrew at about the same rate. Of the year’s totalEFA production, about 70% were low-chemicalagricultural products while purely organic agri-cultural products reached only 6% and theremaining 24% represented either no-herbicide,no-chemical or transitional organic production.

The EFA participating farmers have reduced theapplication of chemical fertilizers by about 39percent with the average number of usages ofpest/herbicides less than 50% (from 6 times to3 times per crop) and yet maintained the 99%level of the average rice yields per hectare (thatis, 4.92 tons) in the survey period of 1999-2001.Korean-type environmentally friendly sustain-able agriculture may well be characterized as asort of ‘precision farming’, based on theIntegrated Pest and Nutrient Management(IPNM) system that has been so far successful inmaintaining a stable level of high yields withoutundermining the current ecosystems.

Unlike conventional agricultural products, EFAagricultural products do not need to passthrough the complex central wholesale markets,since most of them are directly sold to theultimate consumers /institutional buyers at theprices reflecting the value projected by bothproducers and consumers in that it guarantees

Building Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture by Kim Sung-Hoon



the coverage of production costs. Plannedproduction and government direct assistance toproducers’ income in terms of the so-called‘direct payment for EFA’ give an advantage toeco-agricultural farming in Korea. About 36% ofEFA agricultural products are sold directly toconsumers, about 40% goes through either farmproducers’ direct outlets or consumerorganizations, and the remaining 24% isdistributed to specialty or department stores.

As a result, the average farmer’s real income hasincreased by 6.2% for the period of 1998-2001,largely owing to the higher prices received. Ofcourse, to do eco-farming requires a strong willand commitment and a lot of sweat. Needless toemphasize, the lion’s share of the benefitsaccrued from environmentally-friendly agricul-ture goes to the consumers and the society inthe form of safe food, health-enhancement andenvironmental protection.

At the start of the Kim Dae Jung Regime, theMinistry of Agriculture and Forestry embarkedon a policy of support for Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture through a close consulta-tion process with farmers and consumers and astrong package of legislation and regulations.

It is, however, worth while to mention that thebirth of modern-type eco-farming can be datedback to the mid-1970s and that independentfarmer-members of non-profit self-help organiza-tions such as Jung Nong Hoe (the RighteousFarming Society)and the KoreaOrganic FarmersAssociation havebeen engaged invarious types ofeco-farming with-out receiving anygovernmental andpublic supports forat least two and ahalf decades.However, recentinstitutionalchanges in policiesand programs havesupported and even

given financial backing to environmentally-friendly agriculture. Among the policies imple-mented since 1998 are:

1Designation of Environmentally-Friendly Farming Areas

In order to facilitate the introduction of EFA ona large scale, the government has so far desig-nated more than 40 areas mostly surroundingthe major municipal water sources, and provid-ed facilities and equipment necessary for eco-farming. During 1998 to 2002, the governmentinvested more than W50 billion to create/sup-port large-scale environmentally-friendly agricul-tural areas designed to reduce farm-pollutionsuch as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and her-bicides and animal wastes, while improving thequality of soil and water through the installationof a breeding facility for micro bio-organisms,treatment of livestock night soil and liquefyingmanure, etc.

Besides the large-scale EFA areas, the govern-ment has also created 538 eco-agricultural fami-ly farm groups since 1995, with total spendingof W134.5 billion in small-scale water sourceprotection areas and mountainous villages forthe purpose of encouraging organic agriculturalproduction while raising the environmental andliving standards of the villages concerned. Theimmediate purpose of this program is to aid EFAorganic farming by installing modern facilitiesfor breeding homegrown micro bio-organisms,greenhouses, and cold storage and transportsystems, etc.



In addition, to ensure safe rice production andhealthy environment, the government since1999 has financially supported the farmers’IPNM efforts to reduce the use of chemicals andother pollutants coming from the process ofgrowing rice. Under the project rice farming isimplemented with strict use of IPM and INMmethods under the technical guidance of exten-sion agencies.

2Soil Improvement Programs

Korean soil is acidic and sterile, which means soilproductivity is low. In order to lay the basic foun-dation for environmentally-friendly eco-agricul-ture, such soil nutrients as lime and silicic acidare provided by the government for farmland thatare acidic and lack silicic contents.

Furthermore, the gov-ernment finances thenecessary tools andmachinery for soiltransplantation to raisethe productivity andquality of soil, and hassupported the farmers’production of compostand manure utilizingweeds, agriculturalbyproducts, animalwastes and forestrybyproducts.Commercial productionof government-approvedorganic fertilizers arefinancially subsidized,too.

3Direct Payment System forEnvironmentally-Friendly Agriculture

Up to 2001, the EFA direct payment system pro-vided income subsidization to eco-agriculturalfarmers who cultivate their produce mainly inwater-supply protection zones, national parksand environmentally-secured areas. Beginningin 2002, the system has been revised to subsi-dize all those producers whose products arelegally approved as free from chemical contami-nation.

4Rice Farming Direct Payment System

This system took effect in 2001 to guaranteesteady and stable income for farmers, to preventflooding and to maintain scenic beauty, and toencourage the appropriate usage of chemical fer-tilizers and pesticides to meet with eco-agricul-tural standards.

5Creating Market Demand for EFAProducts

Like other industries, the success of EFA poli-cies and programs depends on creating marketdemand for the products. The new marketingschemes for EFA products include financialincentives to such programs as frequent con-sumers’ visits and green tourism to EFA farms,together with accelerating the so-called ‘B to C’

transactions via theInternet, a public mass-media campaign for con-sumers’ awareness ofEFA products, and sup-port for sales promotionof EFA products throughagricultural coopera-tives, urban consumers’cooperatives and NGOs’self-help organizations.One slogan used is:“Though Worm-eatenand Oddly-looking, theTaste More Deliciousand Safe!” [direct trans-lation]

Despite these accom-plishments, the present

level of Korea’s eco-friendly agriculture stillremains at the infant stage, compared withthose of other developed countries like the EUand Canada. Many Korean farmers are stillinsufficiently equipped with systematic eco-agri-cultural know-how and facilities. The enlarge-ment of expert personnel, the building of naturalcyclic farming systems, community-based foodsecurity programs, enhancement of qualityapproval methods, efficient agricultural market-ing systems, and the establishment of an organ-ic livestock industry are a few of the many tasksthat lie ahead.

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The COABC office located in Vernon has becomethe communications hub of the province’sorganic industry. We continue to develop andenhance resources to assist farmers andCertifying Bodies with education forums andliaison between government, industry and farm-ers.

With the return of Kristen Kane and some cre-ative rearrangement of the administration job,the office is now staffed five days a week.Kristen is present Monday through Wednesdayand Cara is present Wednesday through Friday.Office hours are from 9 am to 4 pm every day.

The basic management of the COABC web site isnow being done from the office providing imme-diate response to changes in member contactand status information. News items are beingupdated and posted regularly on the web site aswell.

Several display packages for shows have beenput together and are easily sent to CertifyingBodies and farmers. These consist of the “Whatis Organic Farming” brochure, several postcardsdepicting organic products, rack cards summa-rizing COABC and its function, business cardswith the COABC logo and web address, copies ofthe last two issues of the BC Organic Growerand a poster describing the COABC.

The Organic Sector Development Program(OSDP) is being administered from the office.The OSDP will allocate funds from the Agri-FoodFutures Fund, through the InvestmentAgriculture Foundation of BC, to projects fallingwithin the priority categories as defined in theStrategic Plan. The Plan and the applicationforms are downloadable from the web site.

Office Update

�


Since April of 2001, the COABC office has sentout 112 Organic Advisory Service (OAS)Packages. The package contains an advisorrequest form, an introductory letter, the booklet“What Is Organic Farming”, and if the applicantis new to organics in BC, a copy of the latest BCOrganic Grower.

Of these 112, we have conducted Advisor visitsto 45 farms. We consider a file complete if wehave received the Advisor Evaluation Form fromthe applicant.

The Evaluation forms tell thestory of the OAS– com-ments like “a realincentive to pursueorganic status”, “awonderful oppor-tunity”, “a greatservice…shouldremain available toeveryone”, “an ideapacked day”, “incred-ibly helpful” and “thisis a fantastic service fornew farmers”–brand the pro-gram.

Its not only the service that gets rave reviews-our advisors do too. Comments like “a masterteacher” “practical and philosophical” “has somuch to offer”, friendly and encouraging” and“unbelievably helpful” describe the people wesend out.

Most of the visits have been requested by peoplewho are either brand new to farming, or bythose wishing to transition from conventionalmethods. However some farmers with transition-al organic status as well as those who are certi-fied organic have made use of the service, whichsimply reinforces that we never stop learning, orcan know everything.

Currently we are charging farmers $50 for anadvisor visit. The program has been funded by agrant from the Investment AgricultureFoundation of British Columbia, which has pro-vided funding for 55 advisor visits. We pay eachadvisor $200 per visit to cover travel expenses,

and travel they do – we have had advisors travelfrom the Okanagan to the Cariboo, and from theSimilkameen to the North Islands and beyond

The evaluation forms ask those who have madeuse of the service to suggest methods forimproving the OAS. Some state that the serviceneeds no improvement, though at least onequarter of the respondents have requested thatthe advisor come equipped with “hand-outs” orsome other type of resource manual for ongoingconcerns like soil management, or pest and

weed control, etc.

In a typical visit, which canlast up to eight hours, the

advisor will cover every-thing from pest control tocertification informationto marketing intelli-gence, depending on theneeds of the farmer.

Ideally we match an indi-vidual requesting the ser-

vice with an advisor with rel-evant expertise, but sometimes

we are constrained by geographyand availability of advisors.

All in all, however, the Organic Advisory Servicehas been very successful. People who have madeuse of the service are generally astounded at thevalue for their money, and are more than satis-fied. We hope to continue the service, thoughfunding is quickly running out. We will have tolook at new ways to keep the service afloat,which may mean raising the user fee.

The success of the program is mainly due to thequality of the product, namely the advisors –their dedication, professionalism, and vaststores of knowledge makes them a credit to theorganic industry. These people have a greatcommitment to organics, and wish to share theirenthusiasm. The Organic Advisory Service is acredit to COABC, and needs to continue.

Organic Advisory Service Progress Report By Kristen Kane

OASPackages sent out: 112

Visits conducted/Pending: 45

Visits available (under current funding): 10

Advisors available: 19

Files complete: 35

�


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Farmer to Farmer by Lee McFadyen

The South Asia-Canada Dialogue on the Futureof Agriculture was an exciting and very reward-ing project developed by Inter Pares, IDRC andSANFEC in August 2002. A group of 8 Canadianfarmers from across the country joined farmersand NGO (Non-Government Organization) repre-sentatives from South Asia who are workingtogether in a farmer-led campaign to retain theright to practice cultural and biological diversity.

Canadians Robert Guilford, Manitoba, AlisonHackney, and Madeleine Roussel, Quebec,Martha Jane Robbins, Saskatchewan, and fromB.C. Gregoire Lamoureux, Patrick Steiner, JohnWilcox, Lee McFadyen, and (briefly) Cathleen &Brewster Kneen, joined farmers from Nepal,Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.Abra Brynne was our “mother hen” along withDominique Caouette from Inter Pares and DanielBuckles, Kevin Conway, and Line Caouette fromIDRC. We toured a cross-section of small farmsand a seed house in the Fraser Valley,

Vancouver Island and Salt Spring Island, andthen gathered to discuss our experiences andfind our common ground.

Our guests were surprised and pleased to seeand hear about our organic agriculture. Theythought that the North American industrialmodel for agriculture was THE way we farmed.They learned that many Canadian farmers rejectthe North American industrial model that hasbeen promoted in their countries as the futureof agriculture.

We, on the other hand, were inspired by theirwork to protect and restore seed diversity. Seedsand diversity were common threads throughoutthe IFOAM conference. Diversity has been deci-mated, worldwide. If one idea from our dialoguehad to be identified as the most important, itwould be the issue of farmers doing all they canto ensure a safe and diverse seed supply for thefuture, and not to let this be controlled by a few

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transnationals, as they would then really controlour food and therefore our lives.

Together we wrote and presented our statement:Common Ground, A Vision from the South Asia-Canada Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture tothe IFOAM World Congress on OrganicAgriculture, and received overwhelming interna-tional support. After the Congress, support forthe statement continues to flow in as individualsand organizations from all walks of life are sign-ing on. People are realizing that agriculture iseveryone’s bread and butter - or rice. We trulycannot have a healthy culture without healthyagriculture.

Canadian farmers were enriched by this experi-ence. It strengthened our resolve to continue onour course. It felt good to be with people whothe day before had been strangers, with whomwe did not share a common language, whosecultures were so different to ours, and to find wehave the same basic needs, share the same con-cerns about our futures, and indeed are fromthe one earth. Our common humanity prevailed.

The second stage of this dialogue will occurwhen Canadian farmers visit South Asia nextJanuary. This will enable us to better under-stand the principles discussed during our dia-logue and to participate in our hosts’ culturalevents sharing our Canadian reality with a widecross-section of farmers in South Asia.

We invite you to join us in this global, grassroots movement to promote and support biologi-cal/organic agriculture and to promote and pro-tect our genetic diversity. Ask your certifyingbody, consumer group, customers, everyone, toread and sign COMMON GROUND. The state-ment is posted at<www.ryerson.ca/foodsec/Documents/seacan.htm> or you can get a copy from DominiqueCaouette, Inter Pares, 221 Laurier Ave. E,Ottawa, ON K1N 6P1, email <[email protected]>

Inter Pares is a Canadian social justice organizationworking with Third World Countries;

IDRC is Canada’s International DevelopmentResearch Centre;

SANFEC, South Asia Network on Food, Ecologyand Culture, promotes peace and harmony andfood security in South Asia. �


The market for organic food rests heavily on thepublic’s awareness of its health benefits. Thismeans that in terms of food safety, organic pro-ducers must be squeaky clean. A pilot projectundertaken by COABC with BCMAFF wasdesigned to evaluate on-farm food safety prac-tices and ensure that we have the detailed infor-mation we all need to live up to our reputation.

A steering committee was struck by the COABCBoard of Directors to work with KathleenZimmerman of the BCMAFF Food Safety andQuality Branch, and report to the Board. Thecommittee hired two well-qualified consultantsto carry out the farm visits and prepare thereports. Philip Watney, from Prince George, amicrobiologist, an accredited IOIA Inspector anda Food Safety and Organics consultant and LisaPierce from Surrey, who is an IOIA certifiedinspector and has completed the Foodsafe sani-tation program for food handlers.Lisa and Philipsigned a confidentiality agreement and removedany information that would identify farms beforesubmitting their reports to Kathleen Zimmermanand the steering committee.

Peter Johnston, Of Lasqueti Island, (IslandOrganic Producers Association), Jill Rothe fromOliver, (Bio Dynamic Agricultural Society ofB.C.,) Harvie Snow, from Surrey, (Fraser ValleyOrganic Producers Association) and LeeMcFadyen, from Cawston, (Living Earth OrganicGrowers Association) formed the steering com-mittee.

The goal was to have 20 vegetable growers in theFraser Valley and 20 tree fruit growers in theOkanagan Similkameen volunteer for the pro-ject. Philip visited 19 farms in the OkanaganSimilkameen and one at Quesnel and Lisa hasvisited 10 farms in the Fraser Valley and hopesto find ten more to visit before November 11. Acheck list was prepared by BCMAFF representa-tive, Philip, Lisa, and the steering committee.Lisa and Philip used the checklist to evaluatethe food safety practices at each participatingfarm. This checklist will give the participatingfarms and COABC a ‘picture’ of how certifiedorganic farmers conform to food safety stan-dards. This ‘picture’ will verify our strengths andhelp us address any weaknesses.

The COABC Directors, steering committee mem-bers and participating farms are looking forwardto reviewing the reports and ensuring food safetypractices conducted by certified organic growersmeet stringent standards. This is in the bestinterest of our growers and their consumers.

There will be a workshop with Kathleen Zimmerman atthe AGM.

Farm Food Safety Pilot Project by Lee McFadyen

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FOLIAR PRODUCTSAcadian Soluble Seaweed Extract1-0-3Mermaid's Soluble Fish Fertilizer12-0.25-1Solubor

LIME PRODUCTSDolomite FlourLimestone FlourPacific Pearl Oyster Shell Flour

HAACP and Organics by Philip Watney

HACCP (“ha-sip”) stands for Hazards Analysisand Critical Control Points [aka. “Have a Cup ofCoffee and Pray” Ed.]. In the last dozen yearsHACCP has become the global method of choicefor food producers, retailers, and governments toreduce the likelihood of food-borne illness. SinceHACCP is a general model that is fitted to a spe-cific company, it can be used to increase thefood safety of both farms and processors. Simplyput, you look at your operation from raw materi-als to finished product in order to identify andcontrol food safety risks.

A good HACCP plan should include the otherrequirements a food producer may need to meet.These include regulations of organic certifiers,regional health boards, the BC Ministry ofAgriculture and Agrifoods (BCMAAF), the BCCentre for Disease Control (BCCDC), or the fed-eral Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), toname a few. Most of the government require-

ments fall under the category of “GoodManufacturing Practices” (GMPs) and “GoodAgricultural Practices” (GAPs). These are basic,common sense requirements, such as havingbathrooms (with soap!) for employees. WhileGMPs provide the very basics of food safety,HACCP builds on them to make a food safetysystem specific to each operation.

There are three levels of HACCP, in general. Thefirst level is the “prerequisite programs” whichare necessary to have in place before developinga full HACCP plan. The premises, raw materials,pest control, storage, equipment, employeetraining and food recall system must all bechecked to see if they promote food safety. Theseprerequisites confirm that a company has takencare of the basics for making safe food. The sec-ond level of HACCP is to create a detailed“HACCP plan” for each food product, outlining



the distinct materials, steps, hazards, and con-trols in its production. This is a detailed assess-ment of the risks and controls for each food pro-duced. The third and final step is to submit theHACCP plan for review and approval by the fed-eral Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA),although this step is voluntary for most foodmanufacturers.

Why use HACCP?

HACCP is the law (for some folks): For compa-nies that produce more biologically hazardousfood products (such as meat, dairy, egg prod-ucts, and seafood) inter-provincial trade orexport often requires production to be done inplants with federally approved HACCP plans.

The competition uses it:Like the “organic integritychain” which keeps a prod-uct “certified organic” allthe way to the customer,the use of HACCP through-out a food’s productionkeeps the “food safetychain” intact. For this rea-son, many larger retailersand processors are begin-ning to request that theirsuppliers adopt HACCP.

No one likes food poisoning: In this day ofmedia hype and rising public concerns aboutfood safety, publicity resulting from a single foodborne illness outbreak can be disastrous foreven the best company. Even if the companysurvives, the damage to its reputation and salesmay take years to overcome. HACCP can belooked at as form of business insurance since itreduces the likelihood of producing an unsafeproduct.

HACCP has some good side effects: HACCPrequires close scrutiny and a clear understand-ing of a company’s operation. Fresh ideas aredeveloped and previously unrecognized inconsis-tencies or problems are identified. This oftenallows a company to reduce waste and/or makeimprovements in profitability, consistency orquality. All of these can add to the bottom line.

How HACCP works

Food safety risks fall into three categories:Chemical (cleaners, pesticides, fertilizers, etc.),physical (glass, metal, wood, etc.), and biological(pathogenic food poisoning organisms). A goodHACCP program works by finding and control-ling all areas where these potential risks couldoccur at unacceptable levels. While syntheticchemicals are not permitted in organic produc-tion, care still needs to be taken to ensure thereis no contamination from substances used forcleaning, or biologicals used for pest control.

Risk controls include general practices such ashaving employees check incoming bags of ingre-dients for tears and mis-labeling, and specificrisk-control steps such as pasteurizing.

HACCP addresses issues such as materials andmethods, employee trainingand proper record-keeping. Ifyou are doing what it takes tobe certified organic, you areprobably already on your wayto using HACCP, since many ofthe responsibilities and docu-ments for organics and HACCPoverlap and can be combined.

As with organics, HACCP canbe done partly or completelydepending on the needs of the

producer. A small family farm may follow somegeneral HACCP guidelines to increase the foodsafety of their farm gate or CSA operation, whilea large seafood exporter may use a complete andfederally approved HACCP plan. Similarly, notevery organic producer / processor needsHACCP. Small farms growing dried herbs forsale in the local farmer’s market will find thatHACCP is not worth the effort. However, produc-ers of more dangerous products such as applejuice who plan to sell to a broader marketshould definitely consider HACCP.

Like organic certification, the commitment andinvestment in manpower results in increasedproduct quality and increased market access.The shared ground between HACCP and organ-ics means that companies who are certifiedorganic have a head start should they decide toimplement HACCP.


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On behalf of the 2003 Farmers MarketConference committee, we would like to inviteyour Market Manager, your Board of Directorsand your Vendors to the 2002 Annual GeneralMeeting of the BC Association of Farmers’Markets and the 2003 Conference. We ask youto also invite a City Councillor or member ofyour local Downtown Business Association toattend.

Speakers and workshops arestill to be determined. The costfor this years’ conference will be between $125-$150 which will include: Friday: Reception,Saturday: Breakfast, Break Snacks, Lunch,Dinner Banquet and entertainment, Sunday:Breakfast and Break Snack. Accommodation isavailable at the Best Western.

The conference will be held in Mission at the

Best Western – Mission City Lodge on March 7-9, 2003.

This year’s theme “the Farmers’ Market: a-Family a-Fair” will explore how the FarmersMarket is

� a community of families

� a part of the community family

� the vendor family

� the vendors’ families

� a family place to be

For more information, contact:

Mary Forstbauer, phone: 604-794-3999 or emal:[email protected]

Registration: Leah Williams 32538 McRae Ave.Mission, BC V2V 2L7

The Farmers Market: a-Family a-Fair

March 7, 8, 9, 2003

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A highlight of the opening session of IFOAM in August wasa video address by HRH Prince Charles. Following is apart of what he said.

“As I suspect many of you may know, my inter-est in organic farming and gardening hasbecome something of a public as well as a pri-vate passion. This is largely because I have beenconvinced by the evidence of my own eyes atHighgrove and on the many other organic farmsI have visited all over the world, that organicfarming is the most sustainable alternative tothe intensive industrial model, which hasbecome the conventional orthodoxy over the last50 years. Organic farming delivers, I think, allthe things people really want from agriculture:high quality food, protection of the environ-ment, more jobs, and greater selfreliance on natural systems workingin harmony with nature. But I alsohappen to believe that it helps tobring the ‘culture’ back into ‘agri-culture’, which is an aspect thatour relentlessly materialistic soci-ety is in danger of overlooking. Theconventional establishment is wontto disparage what they call “inefficientpeasant farming systems”, and yet, wheredo its representatives most want to go for theirholidays? Usually to parts of the world, veryoften on the continent of Europe, where theycan take full advantage of the benefits of ‘ineffi-ciency’; in other words, the food, the wine, thelandscape, and the villages. And when you thinkabout it, it is in fact the ‘inefficient’ bits thatmake life worth while, that invest it with joy,and even spiritual value. So at all costs we mustprevent joyless over-efficiency from destroyingthe true meaning of life as well as the funda-mental balance of nature.

“It was Sir Albert Howard who summed up theessence of organic farming best when he wrotethat the health of the soil, plant, animal, andman is one and indivisible. I would like manymore people to read Howard’s book AnAgricultural Testament. It seems so appropriateto me that a British agricultural scientist, sentto India to teach the Indians how to farm, cameto realize that the traditional farming systems of

North-West India held the secret of truly sus-tainable agriculture. He then became effectivelya student of those indigenous farmers andended up exporting their knowledge to the West.That kind of humility should be a lesson to usall as we face the next period of rapid develop-ment in organic agriculture.

“Sadly, ladies and gentlemen, I believe it is almostinevitable that as organic farming becomes moreand more commercialized, we will encounterdownward pressure on the integrity of organicfarming systems, as expressed in the IFOAMPrinciples and Standards. I, for what it’s worth,believe that it would be simply disastrous iforganic food were to become just another globally

traded commodity without any identity orstory behind it; or if standards were

eroded until they were little differentfrom many of the farming systemswhich prevail today. Needless tosay, I sincerely hope that will nothappen, and I am sure that yourconference, with its theme of local-

ization, can be a major influence inencouraging exactly the kind of farm-

ing systems we need to see.

“As you may know, I also have a profound con-cern about genetically modified crops.Apparently it is now politically correct to callthem ‘the products of modern biotechnology’ asif that would somehow make them even moreacceptable, but I don’t intend to do so. One ofmany concerns about these crops is the extentto which organic crops can become contaminat-ed through cross-fertilization and accidentalmixing. If effective steps cannot be taken toresolve this growing problem, millions of peoplearound the world will be deprived of a basicright: to choose to consume only natural,uncontaminated organic produce. No doubt yourconference will also have something to say aboutthis issue, coupled, perhaps, with what I believeis the vitally important question of whether com-panies should be held liable for any potentialdamage caused by their genetically-modifiedproducts, both to the environment, to humanhealth, and to the livelihood and rights oforganic farmers.”

HRH Addresses IFOAM Conference

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wemust prevent joy-

less over-efficiencyfrom destroying ... thefundamental balance

of nature


(as set out in 3.3.2 for each type of operation)has been completed and the land, product orherd is being produced and handled in accor-dance with these standards. This must beverified on a yearly basis by a recognized cer-tification body accredited by the COABC.Transition periods may have been completedunder a non-accredited certification agencyas long as its standards were equivalent toand the agency recognized by COABC.

3.3.2 Required1) For crops grown in the ground.

• The period of transition is 36 months fromthe last application of a prohibited substanceduring which time the implementation of anappropriate soil management plan must bedocumented. During the last 12 months oftransition the land must be registered in acertification programme compliant withCOABC.

• Products may be stamped ‘transitional’ afterthe first 12 months of transition are complet-ed, when approved by the Certifying Body.

9) Milk• Animals purchased from a conventionalsource must be managed according to BCC.O. program standards for 12 months beforethey can be certified organic.

• Pastures must be certified organic or in 3rdyear transition to satisfy this requirement.

• Provisions for the transition of pasture arethe same for those grown in the ground.

11) Processing• Enterprise has been inspected at least twiceand meets the requirements set out in theseStandards.

3.3.3 Regulated2) For crops grown in the ground

• if the applicant can provide documentationthat the land and crops have been managedin accordance with these Standards, but werenot verified by a certification body, a certifica-tion body may accept documentation rather

The following is a list of proposed standardchanges being considered by the COABCStandards Review Committee. To comment onany of the changes, please contact the COABCoffice, Tel: 250-260-4429, Fax: 250-260-4436or email [email protected], or TracySchimpf, Standards Review Committee secre-tary, Fax 250-764-4287, [email protected]

Please submit any comments by December 15th.

Shellfish Farming

“Shell’ved” for further information

COABC to research aquaculture in general andspecifically the proposal of Shellfish farmers fororganic status. Hiring of a consultant, contactwith Suzuki Foundation and Naturaland(German certifier that made aquaculture presen-tation at IFOAM).

Treated Posts

SRC recommends that COABC adopt the draftCanadian Standards regarding treated lumberfor 2003. This issue to be reviewed once theCanadian Standards have been formally passed.

Draft Canadian Standard3.6.3 Regulatedfor new installations or replacement purposes.Lumber treated with arsenate or prohibited sub-stances in direct contact with livestock is notpermitted, with the exception of regional areaswhere low rainfall and fence post distance, mini-mizes livestock contact and contamination riskand where commercial availability of alternativefencing has not been developed. Disposal of allused treated fence posts in a manner that mini-mizes arsenate or other contamination must bedocumented.

SRC proposes the following additions/changes

Management Standards Transition Period

3.3.1Certification Status3) BC certified organic status may only begranted if the appropriate transition period

Standards Changes by Standards Review Committee


than ‘certification’ as a verification of compli-ance with these Standards. However, the landwill still be required to be enrolled in a certifi-cation program recognized by the COABC forat least 12 months before BC CertifiedOrganic status may be granted. The enter-prise must receive at least two inspectionsbefore a certificate can be issued.

Organic Soil Management

3.7.1 Regulated2) Importation of soil must have prior permis-sion of the certification committee.

3.7.3 Prohibited1) Use of synthetic fertilizers, unless specifi-cally permitted in Crop Materials List, Section14.

Environmental Protection

3.1.1 Recommended7) Importation of soil must have priorapproval of Certification Committee

Crop Production Materials

14.2 P Fertilisers, synthetic

All synthetic fertilisers are prohibited, unlessspecifically allowed or regulated in these stan-dards.

Draft Standards

A new area of standards operate as a ‘draft’ doc-ument for a minimum one year period to allowfor revisions as problem areas develop.

Greenhouse Standards

SRC proposes that the new GreenhouseStandards be adopted as a ‘draft’ set of stan-dards with minimum one year of input as out-lined in Draft Standards.

Land Care Standards

SRC proposes that the new Land CareStandards be adopted as a ‘draft’ set of stan-dards with minimum one year of input as out-lined in Draft Standards. Proposed ‘DraftStandards’ available from the COABC office onrequest.

Christmas Trees

A clarificationStandards are covered under crops - perennial.

GMOs

A clarificationLand that has previously grown genetically mod-ified organisms is subject to the same transitionperiod as any other land. Extra monitoring forcontamination of GMOs may be required by thecertifying body.

An addition

4.1.12As the risk of cross contamination by pollina-tion, and the long term hazards of geneticallymodified organisms are not well understood,

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certified organic farms which also operateconventional fields cannot use geneticallymodified organisms on the conventional por-tion of the farm.

9.3.2 Poultry Spacing• Delete 9)

• 11) a. add “housing of at least” 0.36...

b. maximum of 1,000 birds per acre of runs{of farmland (to allow room for pastures andadequate land for environmentally sustain-able use of chicken waste)}. Runs shouldinclude provisions for cover. Runs shouldencourage birds to go out into runs. Thereshould be 2 (pasture) runs per flock for rota-tion (of runs) unless free range.

h. 1 well maintained nest box/4 laying hens,or for communal boxes, 120 sq. centimetresper hen.

i. delete chart

• 12) a. 0.36 square feet/pound of bird barnspace

COABC 10th Anniversary!

A festive and informative

celebration & AGM

February 14th to 16th, 2003

at Camp Alexandra

Crescent Beach, White Rock, BC

The Conference will open on Friday,February 14th, at 7:30 p.m. with akeynote speech on the theme OrganicAgriculture and Sustainable CommunityDevelopment (speaker to be con-firmed).

There will be a travellers’ supper avail-able at 5:30 Friday.

Saturday, February 15th, will be devot-ed to workshops and presentationsincluding:

• Interpreting Soil Fertility

• Can Fish Farming Be CertifiedOrganic?

• The Organic Agriculture Centre andBC Organics

• Rural Capacity Building ThroughOrganic Agriculture – Cyber-Help

• Food Safety Audits

• Organic Marketing StrategiesRoundtable

Watch the website or contact the officefor an updated list of speakers andworkshops.

The Annual General Meeting of theCOABC will be held on Sunday morning,February 16th, including election ofDirectors and other business.

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... continued from page 29


AGM - Organic Agriculture & Sustainable Community Development

AGM Registration Form

Registration Deadline is January 24, 2003

A full package with workshop and speaker details and timetable will be mailed following our receipt of your registration.

Your Member Certification Association:

Name(s): Farm/Business:

Mailing Address:

Postal Code: Tel: Fax:

E-Mail:

Special Dietary Requirements:

Do you need a ride? From where?

Do you have product that you would like to donate for the meals? Please list.

Option 1 - $135/person - includes overnight accomodation (2 nights), registration, all meals & snacks

Option 2 - $100/person - no accomodation, registration, all meals & snacks

CHEQUE ENCLOSED FOR TOTAL COST $

Please send the registration form and with cheque or money order made payable to COABC to: COABC #8A-100 Kalamalka Lake Road Vernon, B.C. V1T 9G1

AccomodationsAccommodation is dorm-style and all beds arebunk beds. There are shared washrooms andshowers. Bedding and towels are not supplied.

MealsYour registration fee includes all meals: a “trav-eller’s supper” on Friday night before theevening session, breakfast, lunch, banquet din-ner and snacks on Saturday, and breakfast,mid-morning snack and lunch on Sunday. Thekitchen will use certified organic foods.

Please note that the banquet is included in theregistration fee this year!

Pre-Registration is VitalThere are only 80 beds available for the AGMthis year – only by pre-registering will people beable to sleep on-site.

A full package with workshop details, schedule,and workshop registration information will bemailed to you following our receipt of your regis-tration.

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