Legislation to regulate the sale and trade of organic food within Manitoba is back on the table after last summer’s provincial election.
The provincial Organic Agricultural Products Act will include many of the standards and procedures as the national organic products regulations introduced in December, said Agriculture Minister Rosann Wowchuk, noting the province was “instrumental” in developing the federal rules. Where the federal rules govern interprovincial and international trade, the Manitoba act will govern trade within the province.
Wowchuk said the new act will define the basis for organic food production, set out specific mandatory standards for food products that carry the organic label and offer consumers “greater assurance that organic production standards are monitored and enforced.”
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The Organic Producers Association of Manitoba (OPAM) would be one of the primary certifiers for growers and processors. The group picked up ISO65 accreditation in 2004, the province noted. Meanwhile, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency would set up the Canada Organic Office and be the governing authority regulating organic production.
Just two other provinces so far regulate organic production and marketing. Quebec has mandatory guidelines while B.C. has a voluntary system in place, the Manitoba release noted.
