1. Elections to the Organic Accreditation Board

If you are interested in actively managing and developing the CARTV’s Organic Accreditation Board you can be elected to the organisation’s Board of Directors.

The CARTV’s general regulations require that the term of office for both the Certifiers’ and the Processors’ representatives on the Board of Directors finishes on even numbered years. For this reason Denis Bouffard, the board’s secretary, has published this nomination announcement for the general assembly scheduled for April 28, 2006. These two positions will be filled by election at that time.

The position of Certifiers' Representative is presently held by France Gravel of Ecocert Canada and that of the Processors' Representative by André Blanchette of the Fromagerie L'Ancêtre.

Whether as a board member presently finishing a term or as a potential member, all candidates wishing to fill the two above-mentioned positions should file their nominations between now and April 7, 2006. To be valid, nomination papers must be signed by at least three members from the represented sector.

The CARTV will provide nomination papers to anyone who requests them. For elections being held in 2006 the eligible members are from:

• CARTV accredited Certification Bodies;
• Processors holding licenses permitting the use of an organic designation.

The Board shall insure that candidates adhering to conditions set out in the general regulations, shall:

1. Be members in good standing or the representatives of a member of a group officially recognised by the CARTV;
2. Have an expertise from the sector they hope to represent;
3. Be knowledgeable in the field of certification.

For more information about the CARTV, its organization and operation, please visit our website at:

2. Notice of Public Consultation

The CARTV will soon be holding public consultations on new requirements aimed at:

• Overseeing the source/origin of slaughter animals when launching or greatly expanding an existing meat production operation or where sufficient numbers of organic animals are unavailable.
• Preventing the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and establishing concentration limits when there is an instance of contamination.
• Controlling the abusive use of the statement "Organically Certified Enterprise" by businesses where not all of their products are certified organic.
  

3. Changes to the Québec Organic Reference Standards

The CARTV's board of directors has voted changes to the Organic Reference Standards used for the certification of products in Québec. Among these changes, please be aware of the following:

• The banning of hydroponics and aeroponics;
• The banning of the force feeding or gavage of geese and ducks;
• The banning of antibiotics for slaughter animals;
• The labelling of wines made from organically cultivated grapes;
• New lists for permitted substances used for crop and livestock production, processing, handling, storage, sanitation and pest control.

You can consult these standards directly on our website in HTML format or download them as a PDF.

4. Recognition of New External Certification Bodies

These ten organizations have requested and have been granted accreditation as Authorized Certification Bodies.

• Bio Latina, Lima (Peru) for products from all sources other than Québec, accredited July 14, 2005;
• AgriQuality Ltd., Auckland (New Zealand) for products from all sources other than Québec, accredited October 13, 2005;
• Canadian Seed Institute (CSI), Ottawa (Canada) for products from all sources other than Québec, accredited December 8, 2005.
• The Consell Català de la Producciò Agrària Ecològia (CCPAE), Barcelona (Spain) for products from Spain only, accredited December 8, 2005;
• IMC – Instituto Mediterrano de Certificazione s.r.i., Senigila (Italy) for products from all sources other than Québec, accredited October 13. 2005;
• KRAV ekonomisk förening, Uppsala (Sweden) for products from all sources other than Québec, accredited July 14, 2005;
• SGS Austria Controll-Co. Ges. m.b.h., Vienna (Austria) for products from Austria only, accredited December 8, 2005;
• Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), Lakewood, CO (USA) for products from the USA only, accredited February 2, 2006;
• Indiana Certified Organic, Clayton, IN (USA) for products from the USA only, accredited February 2, 2006;
• Foundation of Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand (ACT), Nonthaburi (Thailand) for products from all sources other than Québec, accredited February 2, 2006.
  

5. Annie St-Onge Named Accreditation Officer

On October 3, 2005, Dr. Annie St-Onge was hired by the CARTV as its new Accreditation Officer. Dr. St-Onge, who is an agronomist, is in charge of the CARTV's accreditation program and relations with accredited certification bodies. She has degrees from both the Université Laval and McGill University. She holds a Ph.D in Animal Science.

CARTV Board of Directors

CARTV Personnel