About Organic in Canada
In 2021, Canada was home to 7,300 certified organic operations, accounting for 3.3% of total operations. Of these operations, Quebec was found to be the home to the largest number of organic operations across the country, followed by Saskatchewan. The total number of certified organic producers in Canada had increased by 5.4% since 2019.
In 2021, Canada's organic market was worth an estimated $6.5 billion, of which 80% is spent on certified organic foods and non-alcoholic beverages. Organic foods now make up 3.3% of total food sales, and on average Canadians spend $184 each week on organic grocery (COTA, 2013).
Canada Organic Trade Assoication, Quick Facts About Organic in Canada (Infographic, 2021)
To learn more about organic in Canada:
COG Guide to the Canadian Organic Standards
Certifying bodies (filter for Canada)
Canadian Directories of Brand Name Inputs Allowed in Organic
Additional resources
Canadian organic production information and statistics
- 2016 Census of Agriculture
- Statistics Canada. 2017
- Agriculture overview, Canada and the provinces - Certified, transitional or uncertified organic products, census year 2006
- Statistics Canada. 2007
- Canada Organic Statistics 2011 [PDF - 162 kB]
- Canadian Organic Growers. 2015
- Canada reaches new milestones in domestic organic production
- Canada Organic Trade Association. 2017
- Organic Agriculture in Canada: By the numbers [PDF - 669 kB]
- Canada Organic Trade Association. 2017
- Certified Organic Production in Canada 2010 [PDF - 25 kB]
- Canadian Organic Growers. 2009
- Certified Organic Production in Canada 2009 [PDF - 214 kB]
- Canadian Organic Growers. 2009
- Certified Organic Production in Canada 2008 [PDF - 94 kB]
- Canadian Organic Growers. 2008
- Certified Organic Production in Canada 2006 [PDF - 170 kB]
- Canadian Organic Growers. 2006
- Certified Organic Production in Canada 2005 [PDF - 1.1 MB]
- Canadian Organic Growers. 2005
- Certified Organic Production in Canada 2004 [PDF - 268 kB]
- Canadian Organic Growers. 2004
- Certified Organic Production in Canada 2003 [PDF - 173 kB]
- Canadian Organic Growers. 2003
- Corn: Canada's third most valuable crop (with a section on organic corn production)
- Statistics Canada. 2014
- Statistics Canada. 2014
- Farm numbers dip, but organic farms up: Statistics Canada
- Western Producer. 2012
- Farm to Fork: Organics in Alberta
- Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. 2007
- Growing opportunity through innovation in agriculture
Includes organic production statistics from the latest census- Statistics Canada. 2017
- Growing Organic in the Prairies
- Canada Organic Trade Association. 2016
- Organic Agriculture in Canada By the Numbers [PDF - 2.6 MB]
- Canada Organic Trade Association. 2016
- Organic Agriculture in the Prairies: 2015 Statistics [PDF – 6.3 MB]
- Canada Organic Trade Association. 2017
- Organic: From Niche to Mainstream
- Statistics Canada. 2009
- Organic Grain Prices
- Prairie Organic Grain Initiative. 2017
- Organic Livestock Numbers in Canada [PDF - 165 kB]
- Canadian Organic Growers. 2015
- Snapshot of Canadian agriculture (including 2011 statistics on organic farming in Canada)
- Statistics Canada. 2012
Canadian organic market information
- The BC Organic Market: Growth, Trends & Opportunities, 2013 [PDF - 2.4 MB]
- Canada Organic Trade Association. 2013
- Canada's Organic Market: National Highlights, 2013 [PDF - 1.0 MB]
- Canada Organic Trade Association. 2013
- Canadian Consumer Retail Meat Study - April 2012 [PDF - 4.6 MB]
- Alberta Livestock and Marketing Agency Ltd. 2012
- The Canadian Organic Sector, Trade Data and Retail Sales [PDF - 306 kB]
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 2010
- The Market for Organic & Ecological Seed in Canada. Trends and Opportunities, 2014 [PDF – 6.3 MB]
- Canada Organic Trade Association and The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security. 2014
- Market Trends: Organics
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 2010
- Niche market or an expanding industry? Organic fruit and vegetable production in Canada [PDF - 155 kB]
- Statistics Canada. 2005
- Organic Value Chain Roundtable Strategic Plan 2013-2018
- Organic Value Chain Roundtable. 2013
- Retail Sales of Certified Organic Food Products in Canada, in 2006 [PDF - 106 kB]
- OACC. 2007
- OACC. 2007
- Think Before You Eat Video
- Canada Organic Trade Association. 2015
- Western Canadian Organic Business Directory – 2014
- Organic Alberta, SOD, MOA, COABC. 2014
General information about organic agriculture in Canada
- An organic sector macroenvironmental scan [PDF - 538 kB]
- OACC. 2009
- Canadian organic SWOT analysis [PDF - 156 kB]
- OACC. 2009
- Factsheets prepared by the Organic Council of Ontario
- Diverse and Resilient [PDF - 261 kB]
- Being Successful in Ontario's Organic Sector [PDF - 350 kB]
- Organic Certification in Ontario [PDF - 283 kB]
- Ontario's Organic Production [PDF - 162 kB]
- Re-connecting Feeders and Eaters [PDF - 266 kB]
- Location, Location, Location - Regional Differences [PDF - 106 kB]
- Information Needs & Sources [PDF - 252 kB]
- Diverse and Resilient [PDF - 261 kB]
- The Globe and Mail's Annual Organic Week Feature
- Organic Advantage: Beef Production [PDF - 5.0MB]
- Organic Value Chain Roundtable. 2014
- Organic Advantage: Field Crops [PDF - 4.7 MB]
- Organic Value Chain Roundtable. 2014
- Organic Advantage: Vegetable Crops [PDF - 5.3 MB]
- Organic Value Chain Roundtable. 2014
- Special Report: Consumers want organic, so why are farmers wary?
- The Western Producer. 2015
- The State of Organics: Federal-Provincial-Territorial Performance Report 2017 [PDF - 5.5 MB]
- Canada Organic Trade Association. 2017