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Canada - IMO listed as recognised Certification Body by Canadian Government
IMO is now listed on the „List of Certification Bodies providing organic certification services under the Canada Organic Regime“. IMO is listed here in all countries where it provides NOP certification service, see official Website of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency .
Under the determination of equivalence between the US and Canada, producers and processors that are certified to the NOP standards by a USDA accredited certifying agent do not have to become certified to the Canada Organic Product Regulation (COPR) standards in order for their products to be represented as organic in Canada. Likewise, Canadian organic products certified to COPR standards may be sold or labeled in the United States as organically produced. Both the USDA Organic seal and the Canada Organic Biologique logo may be used on certified products from both countries.
This agreement is valid for products produced in the USA and in foreign countries as long as the certification body is directly accredited by the USDA. Examples: a USDA ACA can certify a coffee operation in Costa Rica to the NOP standards or a banana operation in Central America or a grape producer in Chile—if these products are eligible for the USDA organic label, they may be exported to Canada and they may also bear the Canada Organic Biologique logo, as appropriate. But USDA has other export arrangements with sovereign governments that approve their conformity assessment systems. In this case, certifying agents in those countries are NOT allowed to approve labels for NOP products destined for Canada; the sovereign government must apply for approval as a certifying body directly to Canada.
Details about the equivalence agreement can be found on the NOP homepage (www.ams.usda.gov/nop; click on “international agreements”, then “equivalence agreements”).
Both equivalence determinations from the USA and Canada took effect on June 30, 2009 already, but the listing of USDA accredited certification bodies from outside the US was done only now.
Exceptions:
For raw produce intended to be shipped to Canada, no field from which such produce is intended to be harvested may be treated with sodium nitrate (Chilean nitrate). Fields do not have to undergo a three-year transition to meet this requirement. However, fields must be designated free from the application of sodium nitrate, OSPs (Operator Profiles) must be amended, records kept, and the OSP must be auditable. This does not apply to products used in processed products.
Furthermore, agricultural products produced by hydroponic or aeroponic production methods shall not be sold or marketed as organic in Canada.
Under the determination of equivalence between the US and Canada, producers and processors that are certified to the NOP standards by a USDA accredited certifying agent do not have to become certified to the Canada Organic Product Regulation (COPR) standards in order for their products to be represented as organic in Canada. Likewise, Canadian organic products certified to COPR standards may be sold or labeled in the United States as organically produced. Both the USDA Organic seal and the Canada Organic Biologique logo may be used on certified products from both countries.
This agreement is valid for products produced in the USA and in foreign countries as long as the certification body is directly accredited by the USDA. Examples: a USDA ACA can certify a coffee operation in Costa Rica to the NOP standards or a banana operation in Central America or a grape producer in Chile—if these products are eligible for the USDA organic label, they may be exported to Canada and they may also bear the Canada Organic Biologique logo, as appropriate. But USDA has other export arrangements with sovereign governments that approve their conformity assessment systems. In this case, certifying agents in those countries are NOT allowed to approve labels for NOP products destined for Canada; the sovereign government must apply for approval as a certifying body directly to Canada.
Details about the equivalence agreement can be found on the NOP homepage (www.ams.usda.gov/nop; click on “international agreements”, then “equivalence agreements”).
Both equivalence determinations from the USA and Canada took effect on June 30, 2009 already, but the listing of USDA accredited certification bodies from outside the US was done only now.
Exceptions:
For raw produce intended to be shipped to Canada, no field from which such produce is intended to be harvested may be treated with sodium nitrate (Chilean nitrate). Fields do not have to undergo a three-year transition to meet this requirement. However, fields must be designated free from the application of sodium nitrate, OSPs (Operator Profiles) must be amended, records kept, and the OSP must be auditable. This does not apply to products used in processed products.
Furthermore, agricultural products produced by hydroponic or aeroponic production methods shall not be sold or marketed as organic in Canada.
