Canada is a Willing GOMA Partner

Having completed two bilateral equivalence agreements for organic regulations, one with the United States and the other with the European Union, Canada is eager for more.  But, with requests from seven countries (Chile, India, Japan, Costa Rica, Australia, Korea and Brazil) on their table, Canadian authorities are seeking opportunities to gain efficiency in the equivalence assessment process.  In late 2010 the Canadian Food Inspection Authority (CFIA) invited GOMA to inform it about the Tools for equivalence assessment (EquiTool and IROCB).  It was agreed that after GOMA had completed its objectives-based EquiTool annex, COROS, Canada would work with GOMA to test the Tools.  Financial support from GOMA enabled Canada to involve its stakeholder technical advisory committee to participate in the process.  So in May, GOMA Project Manager, Diane Bowen met with CFIA and technical advisory committee representatives to provide some training for the process.  The first step involves learning and confidence-building in the Tools.  Therefore, Canada is assessing its national organic standards (called “Organic Production Systems: General Principles and Management Standards”) against the COROS; and it is also comparing IROCB with ISO Guide 65 (which CFIA requires) plus additional requirements for organic certification bodies in Part C of the Canada Organic Office Operating Manual.  The preliminary comparisons show high correlation between Canada’s requirements and the Tools.  An informative summary will be prepared upon the completion of the process, and Canada can then decide if and how to use the Tools in future equivalence processes with other countries.  “Using these tools could potentially push Canada a long way ahead on international equivalence,” noted Canada Organic Trade Association’s Excutive Director, Matthew Holmes, who is coordinating the process of Canada’s technical advisory committee. “This agreement puts Canada at the forefront of global organic trade: the only country in the world that has an organic standard recognized by the two largest organic markets. We believe there is room and precedent for this agreement to include our manufactured products, some of which include ingredients that support organic farmers all over the world. Canadians trust the European system is verifying the ingredients in its manufactured products, whatever their source, and we hope this trust is reciprocated to Canada’s organic oversight and enforcement as well.”