1. Directive ORG 1 Updated

The Directive ORG 1-0307 has been completely revised so that it would better reflect requirements as they evolve in the various sectors. Adopted last October by the Accreditation Board, it will now be known as Directive ORG 1.

This directive results from a decree issued by Quebec's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, wherein the CARTV was assigned to monitor the organic designation and to regulate the marketing of the agri-food products resulting from organic agriculture. The CARTV would therefore like its business partners to get knowledgeable in this new version of the directive because it pertains to the regulatory requirements to which all firms involved in the marketing of organic agri-food products in Quebec are obligatorily subjected.

In summary, the Directive ORG I includes the following topics:

The new version of the Directive ORG 1 is available on the CARTV Website.

2. Development of Organic Aquaculture Standards

The draft standards submitted for consultation in the summer of 2004 allowed CARTV to gather a number of comments, both from Canadian and foreign professionals. As a result of their comments, the CARTV Standards Committee is currently undertaking an in-depth review of the draft standards.

The Committee is expecting to submit a final draft to the Accreditation Board so that it can be adopted by December. As such, the monitoring of aquaculture products bearing the organic designation will become effective in 2005.

3. Amendments to Veterinary Medicine Standards for Animal Treatment

The Accreditation Board adopted a new version of Article 6.5.4 contained in the Organic Reference Standards, concerning the status of animals being treated with veterinary medicinal products. They will become effective in 2005.

They will become effective in 2005.

Following a public consultation held last October by the CARTV Standards Committee, the Accreditation Board adopted new organic standards intended to replace the individual specifications manuals being used by many accredited certifying bodies until now.

From now on, these unified organic standards will form the basic standards that must be used by all bodies accredited to certify products having organic contents on Quebec territory.

Organic certification may not be refused or withdrawn from a firm when the products covered by its application for certification meet these standards.

As it was previously the case, a certifying body may only issue an organic compliance certificate for any product based on the specifications of other private (Ex: IFOAM) or national (Ex: NOP, JAS, etc.) body, if this same product was already judged compliant with the CARTV organic standards.

The new Reference Standards are available on the CARTV's Website.

5. New CARTV Accreditation Criteria to Apply in 2005

Last October the Accreditation Board adopted new accreditation criteria that had resulted from public consultation held earlier this year by the CARTV Standards Committee.

As stated in Article 4 of Quebec's Regulations Respecting Reserved Designations, CARTV's accreditation criteria consist of general requirements applying to bodies carrying out the certification of products, as contained in the Guide 65. To these have been added additional requirements specific to the certification of agricultural products and foodstuff, and intended to amplify basic requirements recommended by the authors in their introduction to the ISO/CEI Guide 65.

Beginning in 2005, certifying bodies must adopt any measures necessary to ensure that these new accreditation criteria requirements have been entirely met.

These new accreditation criteria are available on the CARTV's Website.

6. CARTV Attended ExpoEast 2004 in Toronto

The ExpoEast Trade Show organized by the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA/ACAS) was held in the Fall 2004. It was brilliantly organized and the next show is being awaited enthusiastically.

The CARTV was among the many professionals and organizations from the agri-food sector who took part in the show. This proved to be an invaluable occasion to share information with processors, producers and traders from all over the world.

Visitors were happy to learn that organizations such as CARTV existed, were defending their interests and providing the Quebec market with a framework within which it could do business.

They seized this opportunity to obtain further detailed information about the province's organic regulations and the procedures being put into place by the CARTV so as to verify the integrity of firms and the compliance of their products, particularly in retail stores.

The show also provided an occasion to clarify a number of issues currently at stake and confronting the organic sector.


Extremely satisfied with this very constructive first meeting, the CARTV would like to invite you to attend the next CHFA Expo Québec being held on February 3 to 6, 2005 at the Québec City business trade center (Centre des Congrès de Québec).

7. Job Openings

CARTV publishes all job openings along with those of the certifying bodies that would express such a request.

Job offers are available online at http://www.caaq.org/en/recruitment/index.asp.

CARTV Board of Directors

CARTV Staff