Organic trade pact in place between Canada, Mexico

Canada and Mexico have come to an understanding on trade of organic foods.

The two countries recently signed on for the Canada-Mexico Organic Equivalency Arrangement, which will allow certain products certified under either the Canada Organic Regime or the Mexican organic system to be sold and labelled as organic in either country.

The arrangement is in the form of a “memorandum of understanding” between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Mexico’s Secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development, to be valid until Feb. 8 next year, when it can be further extended if both parties agree.

The agreement, CFIA said in a release, “will give Canadian families, shopping for organic food, more choices that meet Canada’s high organic requirements and expand market access for the Canadian organic industry.”

Canada already has similar bilateral agreements in place with the U.S., the U.K., the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, Taiwan and Costa Rica. The Canadian government says these pacts are in keeping with its “ongoing commitment to eliminate trade barriers and increase consumer access to a variety of organic foods.”

Under the agreement, effective Feb. 15, CFIA recognizes organic agricultural products of plant origin (including fungi), processed foods of plant origin and beekeeping products which are grown or produced in Mexico, or such products whose final processing and packaging occurs within Mexico, are deemed equivalent to those produced and processed under Canadian organic regulations, and thus can be sold, labelled and represented in Canada as organic.

Mexico’s ag secretariat (SENASICA), meanwhile, recognizes Canada’s control systems for organic products are equivalent to Mexico’s, and organic agricultural products of plant origin, processed foods of plant origin, livestock, processed food products containing livestock ingredients, and beekeeping products or such products whose final processing and packaging occurs within Canada, can be sold, labelled and represented in Mexico as organic.

Thus, while the deal applies to plant-based goods from either country, it allows for trade of meat, poultry, dairy or egg products only if those goods have been certified as organic in Canada.

That means livestock and products from Mexican organic livestock, including processed foods of animal origin, can be imported and sold in Canada as organic — but only if they’re certified under the Canadian Organic Standard by a CFIA-accredited certification body.

Labels on food products deemed equivalent under both countries’ systems can display the Canadian Organic logo and/or Mexico’s National Seal of organic products.

The Canada-Mexico memo of understanding can be further modified if both countries consent, and either party can terminate the MOU on 90 days’ notice. The MOU also notes that it’s “not legally binding.”

The two countries’ agreement also specifies that Mexican organic products certified to the Mexican organic standard and imported into Canada can’t then be re-exported to the U.S., nor used as ingredients in products destined for the U.S. market under the U.S.-Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement.

These products may be used as ingredients in processed products certified under the Canada Organic Regime and exported to other countries, the agreement says.