Canada Organic vs. USDA Organic

Have you ever noticed a USDA Organic Seal on your produce in a Canadian store and wondered if it was held to the same standards as the Canada Organic Label? If so, the answer is yes. Since 2009, Canada and the United States have had an arrangement, known as the United States-Canada Organic Equivalence Arrangement (USCOEA), which recognizes our national organic systems as equivalent.

Most organic products are considered equivalent under the scope of the USCOEA. However, since organic standards differ between our two countries, there are certain exclusions. For example, any agricultural product from Canada which was derived from an animal treated with antibiotics cannot be labeled or sold as organic in the US, even if it is considered organic in Canada. Conversely, any products that are produced in the US by hydroponic or aeroponic production methods, with the use of sodium nitrate, or derived from non-ruminant animals which are not in accordance with the livestock stocking rates set out in Canada’s Organic Standards, cannot be sold or labeled as organic in Canada. In addition, products that are produced through aquaculture are not under the scope of the USCOEA. These products are excluded from the equivalency agreement due to different organic standards in each of the countries. The tables below further explore the exclusions and points of contention between the two countries.

Not allowed to be labeled or sold as organic in the US:

Not allowed to be labeled or sold as organic in Canada:

Differing Legal Frameworks 

The reason for these conflicting organic standards in the US and Canada may be connected to the different legal frameworks in each country. In Canada, the organic standards are developed and voted on by farmers and industry representatives through the Canadian General Standards Board’s Committee on Organic Agriculture. The standards are required to be reviewed every five years to ensure that they remain consistently valid and applicable, reflect recent industry developments and are comparable to the organic standards of Canada’s major trading partners. These standards are then enforced at the federal level by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) through third party certification bodies.

In the US, organic standards are set and enforced by the federal government through the National Organic Program (NOP). This program develops the rules and regulations for all USDA (US Department of Agriculture) organic products. The process of standard setting in the US involves input from the National Organic Standards Board (a Federal Advisory Committee made up of industry experts), but unlike Canada, this board does not have voting power. This lack of voting power means that stakeholders in the US organic sector have less control over the standards. For example, the National Organic Standards Board has recommended that Chilean Nitrate be a prohibited substance, but it remains on the National List of approved substances. The Board has also voted to prohibit aeroponic production systems within organic agriculture, but the USDA still allows its use. 

Organic Imports and Exports – Third Countries

Under the USCOEA, importers and exporters of organic goods must produce a statement of attestation. The Canadian Organic Office and the NOP have both agreed that products should be identified as meeting the terms of the arrangement through the following statement: “Certified in compliance with the terms of the US-Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement”. This statement must appear on documentation travelling with a shipment. The attestation can be included on the organic certificate, the transaction certificate, the purchase order, or other documentation. 

In some cases, an organic import may have originated in a country other than the US or Canada. The USCOEA is the only equivalency arrangement in Canada that covers third-country imports. This means that if a product is imported from a third country that does not have an equivalency arrangement (such as India), the only way that that product can be sold as organic into Canada is if the product is certified according to the Canada Organic Regime (COR) or the US National Organic Program (NOP). The table below lays out the different scenarios for organic imports under this arrangement. 

Import/Export Scenarios:

Labeling

So what does all of this mean when a consumer sees an organic label in the supermarket? Under the USCOEA, the use of either the USDA Organic Seal or the Canada Organic Logo is permitted in both countries provided the organic content of the product is 95% or greater, and within the scope of the arrangement. Therefore, when purchasing organic products in Canada, you can look for either the USDA Organic Seal or the Canada Organic Label, and be sure that the product meets the same standards. Below are the two logos to watch out for when shopping. The use of the logos is voluntary, but the label must include at a minimum the name of the certifying body. Also included in the table below are some examples of USDA and CFIA accredited certifying body logos. 

Canada Organic Logo	USDA Organic Seal
In Canada, the Organic Logo is permitted on products that have an organic content greater or equal to 95% and has been certified according to the requirements of the Canada Organic Regime. In addition, the name of the certification body must appear on the label and imported products must be identified as such.	The USDA Organic Seal differs in that it allows for two different categories of organic labels. Organic products with the seal can be labeled “100% organic” if there are 100% certified organic ingredients, or simply “organic” if there are 95% certified organic ingredients.

Examples of Certifying Body Logos See the CFIA’s full list of certification bodies accredited in Canada. See the USDA’s full list of certification bodies accredited in the US.

For more information on the equivalency agreement and the labeling requirements visit the Government of Canada’s Overview page. 

For information on other equivalency arrangements, see our summary page.