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Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
December 3, 2007
Canada's organic agriculture
industry is getting a boost with nearly $1.3 million to help
accelerate its growth in Canada, announced Gerald Keddy, Member
of Parliament for South Shore-St. Margaret's and Parliamentary
Secretary to the Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities
Agency, on behalf of the Honourable Gerry Ritz,
Minister of Agriculture and
Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board.
"Organic food is an amazing growth market," said Mr. Keddy. "Our
financial support of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada
and the Organic Federation of Canada, demonstrates our
Government's commitment to support research, production and
partnerships that help our farmers develop organic food market
opportunities."
The funding, under the
national Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Advancing Canadian
Agriculture and Food (ACAAF) program, includes $711,500 to
help the industry's major research arm at the Organic
Agriculture Centre of Canada in Truro, Nova Scotia, to better
identify research needs and to more effectively communicate
research results back to the sector.
An additional $565,900 will be used to develop a national sector
organization, the Organic Federation of Canada, to bring
together all players in the industry and raise awareness of the
sector and to help with regulatory development.
"We're thrilled with these announcements," said Dr. Andrew
Hammermeister, Manager of the Organic Agriculture Centre of
Canada, a division of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. "The
organic sector has entered a time of unprecedented consumer
interest and cooperation among stakeholders around the world.
These funds will help us facilitate research and education for
producers and consumers across Canada."
"The grant from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will help build
on existing organic networks right across the country," said
Stephanie Wells, President of the Organic Federation of Canada.
"The Federation is very pleased that the funding supports the
recent hiring of a national coordinator to ensure strong
communication and effective action."
The ACAAF program is designed to help implement innovative
projects that will benefit the production and processing sector,
bolster the industry's capacity to address current and emerging
issues and position the agriculture and agri-food industry to
seize new market opportunities.
For more information on ACAAF please visit
www.agr.gc.ca/acaaf.
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