The federal government has give more than $640,000 to the Canadian Organic Growers (OGC) to help get more Canadians buying organic food purchased from local farmers, Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food says in a news release on Sept. 10.
“Demand for organic food is growing rapidly and we want to ensure that it is Canadian producers who are benefitting from that increased demand,” Bibeau says in the release.
The demand for organic foods is on the rise in Canada, however most of that demand is filled by imported products, the release notes. OGC will use this money to develop a strategy to identify and find solutions to organic supply chain barriers.
The strategy recommendations will then be assessed and evaluated by an independent industry-wide national advisory committee, with a final report published. The report will also include the economic and environmental benefits of increasing domestic organic production and supply chains, the report notes.