marketing campaigns to correct this
misperception.
COTA’s launch of the first National Organic Week in 2010 was a
major milestone for public awareness of the new system and public
advocacy on the benefits and contributions made by the organic sector.
Organic Week 2011 is scheduled for
October 15-22, 2011, and will again
include community events across
the country, in-retail and marketing
opportunities for brands seeking to
build awareness and the popular
Parliament Day conference and reception in Ottawa. These activities
continue to build a strong market
base and consumer trust in organic.
In 2011, COTA is working with a
group of partners and media to undertake the first comprehensive survey of organic sales and consumer
attitudes and behaviors in Canada,
to assist the industry in understanding the unique consumer and market trends of this fast-growing sector.
Organic Processing Magazine will highlight findings at the end of the
study.
Also significant, and very promising, is news in June from the CFIA
that they have reached an equivalency—in principle—with the EU. Although an agreement had not been
officially announced or signed at
press time, and specific details of the
agreement remain unconfirmed, the
opportunity provided by open trade
with both the U.S. and EU ensures that the Canadian organic market,
as well as its producers and processors, will continue to grow and build
into the foreseeable future. o
Matthew Holmes is the executive director of the Canada Organic
Trade Association, an adviser to the Canadian government on the organic market and regulatory system, and an international speaker on
organic trade, market development and regulations. You can find
more information about COTA and the Canadian market at
www.ota-canada.ca, or email Matthew at mholmes@ota.com.
Mark Your Marketing
Calendars
Canada’s Organic Week 2011 is sched-
uled from October 15-22, 2011, and will
again include community events across
the country, in-retail and marketing op-
portunities for brands seeking to build
awareness. You can find out more at
www.Organic Week.ca. Sponsorship
opportunities are available.
