Organic Agriculture in the Prairies Reports
Organic Agriculture in the Prairies 2020 Data
Now in its seventh year of publication, the Organic Agriculture in the Prairies report provides a snapshot of the health of the organic sector in the Canadian Prairie.
Key Findings
• Certified organic operations declined to 1957 in 2020 below 2019 numbers, primarily due to losses in the organic handling sector.
• The number of crop producers remained unchanged from 2019.
• The largest loss of operators and acreage occurred in Manitoba.
• Despite no real increases in producer numbers, organic acreage expanded by 161,719 acres to 1,884,509 acres in 2020 while the Prairie share of national organic acreage declined from 50 to 45%.
• Cereals and oilseeds demonstrated the greatest gains in acreage over 2019 with 20% and 18% growth, respectively. Wild harvested crops – most notably wild rice, reported the biggest loss of acreage with a 27% year-over-year reduction.
• Livestock production was relatively flat with seven fewer mixed organic operations in 2020 while actual livestock numbers increased from 2019.
• The number of Prairie organic handlers dropped precipitously from 292 to 265, a 10% drop over 2019.
Read prairie statistics from years prior here:
- Organic Agriculture in the Prairies 2019 Data
- Organic Agriculture in the Prairies 2018 Data
- Organic Agriculture in the Prairies 2017 Data
- Organic Agriculture in the Prairies 2016 Data
- Organic Agriculture in the Prairies 2015 Data
- Growing Organic in the Prairies 2014 Data
Organic Consumer Reports
Organic Packaged Food Trends Reports: Europe and EU, 2022
These 2022 reports from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Market Access Secretariat are part of a health and wellness series and summarize organic packaged food trends in the Netherlands, Germany, the UK and organic tea trends in Europe.
- Organic Packaged Food Trends in Germany 2022 (English)
- Organic Packaged Food in the Netherlands 2022 (English)
- Organic Packaged Food Trends in the UK 2022 (English)
- Organic Tea in Europe 2022 (English)
COTA-The State of Organics: Federal-Provincial-Territorial Performance Report 2021
The Canada Organic Trade Association’s State of Organics: Federal-Provincial-Territorial Performance Report for 2021. This report analyzes and tracks the existing organic regulations, policies and programming within the federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments. Building off of benchmark data from 2017-2019, this deep analysis of where organic has progressed to in 2021. This report recommends key areas that different levels of government can adopt to support the growth of organic in Canada.
Other COTA Reports
COTA produces valuable market reports for the Canadian organic industry. From the flagship Canadian Organic Market Report to specialized reports like Organic Food Processing, this research equips businesses and policy makers with valuable market insights and trends for the sector. Some reports are for purchase and some free.
Access all COTA market analysis reports here
Overview of Organic Food Opportunities in the United States and Canada
This Market Intelligence report reviews the organic market opportunities available in North America. Over the past decade, the Saskatchewan organic industry has grown significantly. Saskatchewan is home to the largest operations in the prairies. In 2016, Saskatchewan had 839 crop producers, 32 livestock operators, 89 processors and a total of 912 certified organic operations. Saskatchewan has over one million acres of organic land. Growth is attributed to the pasture and forage category (51 per cent), field crops (48 per cent) and Fruit and vegetables (1 per cent). The Canadian organic industry continues to grow and shows no signs of slowing. This report concludes Saskatchewan opportunities are seen in organic oil seeds, organic cereals, and organic pulses for a variety of uses, such as human consumption, animal feed, and industrial uses in the United States.