Organic agriculture in Quebec

Marie Neige Guerin [260431677]Department of GeographyGEOG-302 Resource management IFor Mrs Akman. June 1th, 2010.

Presentation outlook

1. Organic agriculture for a sustainabledevelopment

2. Political progress of the movement

3. Facts about organic agriculture in Quebec

ORGANIC FARMING FOR A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The 3 dimensions

• Rotation and intercropping

• Covercroping

• Chemical inputs are reducedEnvironment

• Plus-value of the product

• Less external inputs

• Make more employmentEconomy

• Healthy produces

• Beautiful landscapes

• Agrotourism, Diversity in local producesSociety

The 3 dimensions

Environment :

Rotation : to not deplete the soil on long-term and diminish the growth of diseases and bug. The rotation has to be with crops of different families, ex : 1 year mint, 1 year tomatoes, 1 year corn. Intercropping : To combine different crops of different heights on the same land. Ex : inside the rows and an orchard it is possible to grow tomatoes and wild berries. Covercropping : To plant a crop wich doesn’t grow high. This crop has the use of covering the soil and enrishit it with carbon and nitrogen, in the case of a nitrogen-fixing plant. To To cover the soil helps to keep the moisture in it and then diminish the need of tillage. When there is tillage, soil microbiology is affected and there is mortality of nutrient-fixing organisms (earth worm, fungus, bacteria, nematodes, etc.)Only biodegradable chemistries are allowed.

Economy :Since more manual work is beeing done, the energy provided for the farm is mainly provided by human resources than by fossil fuels.According to Mäder & al (Science, 2002) : 97% reduction of pesticides, 34-53% reduction of energy and fertiliser inputs, → 20% crop yield reduction.The demand is elastic, so variable upon economic situation.

Ecosystem approach

1. Whole system : healthy environment for farmers and the environment

2. Interrelationships among bugs, animals, plants and consumers

3. Dynamic adaptation to needs (ex : rotation)

4. Long-term health of the soil

5. Limits of inputs (soaps, manure, etc)

6. Boundaries : tend to transform the farm as a complete closed system (pound, high and low lands, etc)

Ecosystem approach

1. Many chemical biocides have to be used with special caution because of their danger for health if misused. So reducing them is a protection for the environment as well as for the producers who work with them.

2. The organic understanding of agriculture is the crops in their whole environment, which included bugs, animals, other crops, weeds. Also the demand of the consumers are taken in consideration.

3. The needs of the soil change, the bugs and disease move. Rotation of crops is needed in response to a dynamic environment.

Imperfect science

OGM seeds

Herloomseeds

Round-Up was thought to be completely degradable in the environment. Some agronomists wanted it to be accepted in organic agriculture but later studies confirmed it should not. Less use of fossil energy, more use of manual tools (less use of oil and make more employment). Forbidden use of synthetised fertilisers, as nitrogen, wich is a by-product of oil raffinage, more use of natural amendments, as compost.

AutonomyLess use of fossil energy, more use of manual tools (less use of oil and make more employment)

Forbidden use of synthetised fertilisers, as nitrogen, wich is a by-product of oil raffinage, more use of natural amendments, as compost.

POLITICAL PROGRESS OF THE ORGANIC MOVEMENT IN QC

Process

1972

Public inputs

1990

Provincial response

2006

Federalresponse

Major Stakeholders

•Concerned about mortality of bees in apiculture production

•Traditional values, “Retour à la terre” movement.Traditional farmers

•Concerned about the safety of biocides

•Concerned about bad farming management (mad cow, etc)

•Concerned about keeping the integrity of the nutritive elements

Consumers concerned about health issues

•Concerned about biocides : their safety and the respect of the regulations in their use

•Concern about the conservation of the landscape, biodiversity

Consumers concerned about environmental

issues

• Interested in the plus-value of organic products

• Interested to a growing marketOpportunists farmers

Political ProgressPublic inputs Provincial :

MAPAQFederal : Canadian Food Inspection Agency

1972 : MAB1979 : Sanders farm (Compton)

1988 : CAB in ITA L’Apocatière1989 : FABQ

1990 : Quebec-Vrai1993 : FBQ

1995 : • Garanti-Bio• Quebec-Vrai• ASC from Equiterre1999 : FPMBQ

2006 : Loi sur les appellations réservées et les termesvalorisants (revised in 2008)

2006 : Organic Product Regulations in the Canada Agricultural Products Act (revised in 2009)

Political Progress

• The Sanders farm is to first one to be certified organic in Quebec. It was the Vermont department of OCIA that certified them.

• MAB : Mouvement pour l’Agriculture Biologique• FBQ : Filière Biologique du Quebec• CAB : Centre d’Agriculture Biologique• Quebec Vrai was first founded by the MAPAQ who stopped

financing it in 1995. It then became an independent organism• FBQ : Fédération d’agriculture biologique du Québec (now part of

the UPA)• ASC : Agriculture Soutenue par la Communauté (a link of direct

marketing between organic farmers and consumers), founded by the ONG Equiterre

• FPMBQ : Filière des Plantes Médicinales Biologiques du Québec.

Official Certification in Quebec

2 are based in Quebec : • Quebec Vrai• Garanti-Bio / Ecocert

Other 5 : • ICS• OCIA International• OCPP/OCPRO• OCQV• QAI

(MAPAQ 2004, p.36)

MEANINGFUL NUMBERS ABOUT ORGANIC PRODUCTION IN QC

Statistics

• Number of farms doubled in 9 years1 : – 1999 : 479

– 2008 : 935

– 1500 additional farms would produce organically but are not certified. (SC, 2007)

• Superficy of certified lands1 : – 2nd producer of Canada, after Saskatchewan

– 342 325 ha

– ≈ 30% of Canadian certified lands

Production Statistics

• Organic milk production1 : – First producer in Canada– 101 producers– ≈ 43% of organic milk produced in Canada

• Importation of organic produces1 : – 49%, the lowest rate in Canada

(1Macey, 2000 & 2010)

• Market demand increased of 21 % between 2005-2006 (CABC, 2007)

Organic production type in Quebec by the number of farms in 2009 (overlap 210)

Vegetal51%

Maple sugar30%

Animal15%

Specialisations4%

(CARTV, 2009)

References

• CANADA. Statistics Canada « Le Bio : l’évolution d’un créneau ». Un coup d’oeil sur l’agriculture canadienne. # 96-325-XIF2007000, pp5-7, 14p.

• Macey, A. 2010. « Certified Organic Production Statistics for Canada 2008 ». COG (Canadian Oranic Growers). 8p. (refered to from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency)

• Macey, A. 2007. «Ventes au détail de produits alimentaires certifiés biologiques au Canada, en 2006». CABC. p2. 16p.

• Macey, A. 2000. « 1999 Organic Statistics ». COG (Canadian OranicGrowers). 2p.

• QUEBEC, MAPAQ. 2008. « Usages de l’appellation biologique au Québec, Satistiques 2008 ». CARTV Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants. 12 p.