Organic sector tables petition in Parliament

A petition calling for greater federal support of the organic sector was presented in Parliament this Tuesday.

“The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to give Canadians better and more affordable access to the foods they want by establishing bold policies and programs that would encourage growth in the domestic supply of organic,” said B.C. MP Alistair MacGregor, who tabled the petition.

The Canadian Organic Trade Association (COTA), with the support of other organic groups, launched the online petition at the beginning of April and amassed nearly 1,600 signatures according to a May 7 news release from that organization.

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The petition called for the federal government to bolster the organic sector through policies and program, and to “meaningfully recognize and incentivize” sustainable and resilient food systems, like organic.

“Agricultural practices and policies must adapt as consumer demand moves towards organic and sustainable options. Investing in organic not only helps mitigate our climate-related risks but also delivers on changing consumer preferences,” said COTA executive director Tia Loftsgard in the release.

Once a petition is tabled, the government must respond within 45 days.

While petitions rarely bring immediate policy change, Loftsgard said they can keep the topic front-of-mind in the House of Commons.

“This petition provides us another forum to talk about the needs of the organic sector with consumers and government and in the broader context of the Organic Action Plan,” Loftsgard said in an April email.

“It also allows supporters of organic to add their voice to our advocacy efforts and to showcase to their Members of Parliament the broad support for Organic across the nation.”

The organic sector is developing a national organic plan and “is united in its request for a policy mechanism to support implementation of the plan,” the news release said.