The Clinic of Dr. Arrigo

To be certified organic, products must be grown and manufactured in a manner that adheres to standards set by the country they are sold in. Regulations in Canada came into effect in June 2009 with the Organic Products Regulations by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Only products with all organic ingredients may be labeled as “100% Organic“. Only products with organic content that is greater than or equal to 95% may be labeled as: “Organic” or bear the organic logo.

Multi-ingredient products with 70-95% organic content may have the declaration: “Contains x% Organic Ingredients“. These products may not use the organic logo and/or the claim “Organic”. Multi-ingredient products with less than 70% organic content may only contain organic claims in the product’s ingredient list. These products may not use the organic logo.

Certified organic products must also bear the name of the certification body that has certified the product as organic. CFIA website lists certification bodies and Candian Organic Growers webiste for the producers.

Organic products sold within the province of origin are subject to provincial organic regulations. The provinces of Quebec and British Columbia have organic certification systems in place, while other provinces are considering developing their own system.

Imported products must meet the requirements of “Canada Organic”. Should imported products bear an organic logo, the statement “Product of” or “Imported from” must appear near the logo or designations. In June 2009, Canada and the US entered into an arrangement recognizing our national organic systems as equivalent.

Benefits of Organic

Scientific data shows organic foods contains significantly less pesticide residues and at lower concentrations. Organic also restricts the use of most chemical additives in foods. Synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and confined livestock operations are not permitted in organic production. This means that there is lower risk of pesticides, nutrients, manure, and antibiotics affecting the soil, ground water, rivers, lakes, atmosphere and the life within them. Through this, organic farming also supports more wildlife than non-organic farming.

Organic farming also uses much less energy than conventional agriculture, mostly because it doesn’t use nitrogen fertilizer and uses 30% less fossil fuels. They have also found that organic farming tends to hold more carbon in the soil, reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

Is organic food more nutritious? Organic food has higher amounts of beneficial minerals, essential amino acids and vitamins. Research from around the world supports this statement.

Research also shows that buying organic reduces many illness ad disease risks associated with non-organic agriculture and food. Farmers and food processors will respond to consumer demand; they will use fewer pesticides, fertilizers, additives, antibiotics etc. It is our responsibility as a consumer, however, to be prepared to pay more for our food so that farmers can change their practices.