Quebec Organic Reference Standard

Version 4.0 (Current Standard)
Last update : January 1, 2008.   

The last changes made to the Quebec Organic Standard are shown in bold on the site.

The requirements included in this document form the only set of standards to which all certifying bodies must refer when certifying livestock, agricultural products, foodstuff and animal products on Quebec territory, and that are not being processed or transformed, nor intended for human or animal consumption. They apply as long as they meet these standards and are intended to bear labeling referring to organic production methods. This set of standards must be applied exactly as they are written, without alteration and additional requirements from certifying bodies, whenever products and operations are being evaluated for compliance.

They were developed in cooperation with Québec's certification bodies with a view to developing a provincial consensus for the upcoming debate on the adoption of Canadian national standards.

Originally, organic agriculture was developed in the close contact between small producers and consumers. The conditions of a greater market demand, a growing importance of investments in production, and expanding distances between producer and consumer, have lead to the creation of a product certification system intended to assure the integrity and authenticity of agricultural produce and “organic” food products.

The organic products certification system, as it is developed and implemented, focuses on production and processing procedures rather than solely verifying foodstuffs and agricultural products themselves. This monitoring of production "techniques" requires a truly responsible involvement by all parties concerned.

The following document orders the organic reference standards are according to production sectors. These certification requirements shall be followed before a product is designated organic, regardless of the certification body.