Prices for organic vegetables in Canada are set to increase this winter, with the country set for lower US supplies following a change in plant treatment regulations.
A ruling introduced in July this year closed the border to organic vegetables containing sodium nitrate, which is widely used by large-scale organic growers in California, the Montreal Gazette reported.
Canada, like the European Union, considers sodium nitrate to be a synthetic fertiliser and will not allow produce grown using it to be labelled organic in stores.
A two-year grace period was introduced for produce to allow for a transition away from the fertiliser's use, but the United States Department of Agriculture opted to issue a decree banning growers from exporting the produce to Canada, under an equivalence agreement with the Canadian government.
Laura Telford, national director of Canadian Organic Growers, said that while the short-term effect would be higher prices, the regulations meant peace of mind for consumers.
'It runs contrary to organic principles,' she told the publication. 'It's a quick fix, an easy way to get nitrogen into the system.'
