Work Beginning on New Editions of Two National Standards of Canada for Organic Production Systems

Ottawa, August 30, 2013 - Public Works and Government Services Canada's Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) today announced the start of work on new editions of the two National Standards of Canada related to organic foods:

• CAN/CGSB 32.310 Organic Production Systems General Principles and Management Standards
• CAN/CGSB 32.311 Organic Production Systems Permitted Substances Lists

The two standards are referenced in federal regulations under the Canada Agricultural Products Act, namely, the Organic Products Regulations, 2009 (SOR/2009-176). The standards were last fully updated in 2006.

With support from the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), CGSB administers the standards development process using balanced committees to arrive at voluntary consensus standards that can become National Standards of Canada.

As a standards development organization (SDO) recognized in Canada as having the competence to develop National Standards of Canada, the Canadian General Standards Board is one of the SDOs whose standards development work is eligible for funding from the Standards Council of Canada. SCC funding is specifically earmarked for the review and update of various technical standards maintained by SCC-accredited SDOs that are referenced in Canadian federal regulations and that have been confirmed by government departments as being of ongoing significance to their regulatory mandates.

This advisory is to notify the public and key stakeholders that the work is commencing.

Drafts of the two standards will be made available for public review and comment in 2014 through the normal standards development process. Once the project concludes in 2015, these two documents will be available for public access for five years.

For more information, please review the Frequently Asked Questions, or contact the Canadian General Standards Board at ncr.cgsb-ongc@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.