TCO Cert is accredited by the CFIA to certify agricultural products as organic in accordance with the requirements of the Canada Organic Regime. This accreditation includes:
- Canada Organic Regime operating manual
- ISO/IEC 17065; and
- Canadian Organic Standards: CAN/CGSB 32.310-2020 and CAN/CGSB 32.311-2020.
TCO Cert Certification categories include: Farm, Simple &Complex processing, Livestock, Dairy Production, Maple Production, Grower Groups, Wild Harvest, Mushroom/Sprouts, Specialty Crops.
TCO Cert is accredited to the following:
Canada Organic Regime (COR)
“The purpose of the Canada Organic Regime is to regulate all parties involved in the certification of agricultural organic products (including operators producing organic products, Certification Bodies and Conformity Verification Bodies) and to verify all applicable regulatory requirements, standards and guidance documents are being met.” More information
Equivalency Arrangements
“Equivalency arrangements are trade agreements made with other countries. Canada only establishes an organic equivalency arrangement with another country after assessing and comparing the two regulatory systems, including the standards, to determine whether the principles and outcomes achieved are consistent.” More information
Attestation of Compliance
An attestation of compliance may be issued “to a person that conducts physical activities with respect to the organic product (for example, slaughtering where the meat is not packaged and labelled, storing, seed cleaning and other custom services for bulk organic products where the ownership of the products remains with the primary producer/processor) which is not yet in an impermeable package, with the exception of retail and transport.” More information
CARTV
(for Quebec operators only)
“The Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants (CARTV) was set up by the Government of Québec on November 6, 2006, pursuant to the Act Respecting Reserved Designations and Added-Value Claims (L.R.Q., chapitre A-20.03). The object of this Act is to protect the authenticity of products and of terms used to identify and promote them, through product certification based on origins or on special characteristics associated with a production method or specificity.
Effective January 1, 2008 the CARTV was granted jurisdiction over agriculture and food products bearing a reserved designation and sold on Québec territory” CARTV website
Bio Suisse (International Certification Bio Suisse)
“The basis for a certification abroad according to Bio Suisse Standards is a valid organic certification equivalent to the Swiss Ordinance on Organic Farming. The Bio Suisse Standards are democratically established by the Swiss organic farmers and do, in some areas, significantly exceed the basic requirements set by the government (e.g., enhancement of biodiversity, whole-farm approach, fertilization, plant protection, use of water, social accountability and fair trade). In order to guarantee the high demands of Bio Suisse, the whole supply chain from the producer to the exporter must be certified according to the Bio Suisse Standards. Contact a Certification Coordinator or your Chapter Administrator for more information.