Organic Agriculture in the Prairies 2018 Data Report
“Now in its fifth year of publication, the Prairie Organic Agriculture Report provides up-to-date acreage and
operator information for Canada’s Prairie Provinces. Consumer demand for organic products continues to
grow, encouraging more farms, processors, and retailers to choose to participate in the organic sector. This
has resulted in an increase in certified organic operations, along with an expansion of certified organic
acreage across the Prairie landscape. Organic operations and acreage constitute approximately two percent
of farmland and two percent of farms, as measured by the 2016 Census of Agriculture. Organic farm
numbers and acres continue to grow, despite the overall decline in non-organic farms and lack of overall
acreage growth in the Prairies. Consumer behaviour is also shifting towards plant-based products, resulting
in a decrease of livestock operations.”
Some of the key findings were:
- The Prairies continue to be a key contributor to the organic sector in Canada with 56% of total
certified organic acreage. - Organic acreage was stable at 1.8 million acres between 2017 and 2018. All three Prairie
provinces recorded over 28% growth in organic acreage between 2015 and 2018. - Certified organic operations went up from 1,840 in 2017 to 1,975 in 2018.
- 63% percent of Prairie acreage is in Saskatchewan (SK), 30% in Alberta (AB), and seven percent in
Manitoba (MB); 55% percent of Prairie producers are in SK, 35% in AB, and ten percent in MB.