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Producers marketing products outside B.C. will be required to hold certification by a federally recognized certification body, as is already the case under existing regulations.

“We as certified organic producers go through a process to be able to call our products organic,” said Mary Forstbauer, co-president of the COABC.

However, when the Canadian Organic Standard came into effect in 2009, producers were asked to refer to their certified products as simply “organic,” which has led to confusion among consumers faced with similar labels on goods that may have been produced in very different ways, she said.

“People presented with products that are both labelled organic wonder why one costs more,” she said. “Well, we go through a lengthy verification process, extensive paperwork and inspections for the right to call our food organic.”

The proposed regulatory changes will address a long-standing source of confusion for farmers market customers by providing assurance that farmers making organic claims are following organic standards, according to Vancouver Farmers Markets operations manager Roberta LaQuaglia.

Farmers who claim to be “uncertified organic” are a real source of irritation to vendors who have gone to the trouble and expense of certifying, she said.

“Organic is a word that carries a lot of weight with consumers, but when the consumer hears that a farmer uses organic methods, there is no way to tell what those methods are without certification,” she said. “This will help remove some of the guesswork.”

Vancouver Farmers Markets provide bright red signage to vendors that have organic certification to help differentiate them from conventional farmers, who have until now been allowed to legally use the word organic despite not having certification.

“We do have a problem at our markets where people say they are organic or they use organic methods,” said Ms. LaQuaglia. “We tell [uncertified farmers] they aren’t allowed to make those claims.”

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