'Organic' needs certification

Photo: Facebook - Unearthed Fine Veggies & Herbs

Jordan Marr and his child at Unearthed Fine Veggies & Herbs in Kelowna.

Three years in the making, a change to organic marketing requirements in B.C. will come into effect Saturday.

For years, there has been no regulation around vegetable and fruit growers using the term “organic,” regardless of whether or not they'd been certified.

On Sept. 1, a new provincial regulation takes effect where anyone using the term organic must be certified by one of several certifying bodies in the province.

The province says this change will clarify consumer confusion over organic fruits and vegetables grown in the province, and increase confidence in what's being sold.

While certification requires a host of requirements, it generally includes minimizing the use of “off-farm inputs” like synthetic pesticides and herbicides and maintaining the long-term fertility of soils.

Carmen Wakeling, president of the Certified Organic Associations of BC, says they've been working with the province since 2015 to create stronger regulations.

“Historically what had happened was anyone that was certified organic identified themselves as 'certified organic producers' and everybody else was 'organic' and it was the wild west,” Wakeling said.

“It was very confusing for our clients, our customers ... consumers were not necessarily getting what they were paying for.”

Kelowna's Unearthed Fine Veggies & Herbs became certified organic a few months ago. The farm's owner, Jordan Marr, says the whole process took about a year and a half.

Marr ran a certified organic farm in Peachland before moving to a uncertified lease in Kelowna, forcing him to go through the process all over again.

“Typically it takes someone applying a year to three years to fully transition and it depends on what was previously done on the land,” Marr said. “You have to lay out the history of the land, talk about your neighbours, outline your intended use of the land, all the records you've been keeping, produce some new records during the process. So it's fairly onerous.

“It's one of the several reasons that non-certified organic farmers don't certify, they say they find it too burdensome ... Certainly it is a lot of work.”

Marr, who recently wrote about his feelings on certification in an organic farming magazine, says while the certification “regime” is not perfect, it ultimately gives consumers confidence in what they're buying.

“A lot of non-certified organic farmers tend to claim, 'well I basically follow the standards, I just don't get certified,' but I think that's often just not the case when you really analyze all of the nuances of being certified,” Marr said.

“You're going to get a number, just at the Kelowna Market, who say, 'well I'm not certified but I use organic practices' ... Unfortunately, it really tends to muddy the waters.”

Wakeling says while they plan to work with producers to help them abide by the new rules, the province can ultimately issue a $350 fine to producers who are not following the new regulations. 

She says there are currently about 750 certified organic producers in the province.