3. Transition Period Leading to Organic Certification

3.1	Transition Period Applicable to Crop Production
3.2	Transition Period Applicable to Animal Production
3.3	Transition Period Applicable to Maple Production
3.4	Plot Transition within an Operation Site
3.5	Transition Plan Applicable to Crop Production
3.6	Split Crop Production Management
3.7	Buffer Zones

The transition to organic agriculture takes into account all the activities undertaken by the operator of a non-organic production system in order to respect the conditions required by these standards, and as such, applies to the farm or production unit as a whole.

Transition periods are to be stipulated for livestock, crop and maple production..

Note that food preparation enterprises are neither subjected to a transition period. Food preparation systems shall however meet these standards in order to be issued a compliance certificate pertaining to them.

3.1 Transition Period Applicable to Crop Production

3.1.1 Before crop production from any given year can be certified as organic, the certification applicant must be able to demonstrate that the system producing these products satisfies the terms of a transition period with the following conditions:

a.	Prohibited substances were not used for a period of 36 months prior to a crop harvest that was intended for certification.
b.	Specifications were fully met by the operator, during the entire transition period, the final year having been monitored by a certification body.
c.	The applicant has been given an attestation of pre-certification by an accredited certifier, following an evaluation visit of the site of operations during the production season immediately preceding the harvest to be certified;
d.	During the certification year but before the harvest, the certification body carried out another inspection of the production system.

3.1.2 The length of the transition period may be extended or reduced by 12 months by the certification body in cases where previous usage justifies it.

3.1.3 When certified operators interrupt agricultural operations for at least a year, the production system they operate shall continue to be monitored by their certification body. Should they fail to maintain active files on the production system with the certification body in charge, operators will have to complete a transition period and be given an attestation of pre-certification by an accredited certifier before the organic products it harvests can be certified again.

3.1.4 Land brought back into cultivation after lying fallow for at least three years, as well as those harvest zones consisting of wild and natural plants are not covered by the requirements mentioned above.

3.2 Transition Period Applicable to Animal Production.

Prior to animal products being certified organic, the following conditions shall be fully met by the applicant.

a.	Characteristics relative to their feed containing vegetable matter complying with all of these standards;
b.	Section 6.3 requirements regarding animal feed;
c.	The entire application of all requirements for a minimum period of : one year for dairy animals; one year for breeding stock; one year for apiarian farms; and one year or a reproductive cycle life for aquacultural products.
d.	All poultry shall be acquired as day old chicks.

3.3 Transition Period Applicable to Maple Production

Prior to maple products being certified organic, the following conditions shall be fully met by the applicant.

a.	No prohibited substances (fertilizer or synthetic pesticides used in forest management) shall have been used within the three years preceding any sap collection leading to maple syrup production destined for certification.
b.	As the operation site constitutes a managed natural environment, it shall, during the year immediately preceding the production to be certified have undergone an on-site inspection by an accredited certifier who following an evaluation, issues the applying enterprise an attestation of pre-certification.
c.	There should not be any mixed maple production (organic and non-organic) within any area producing for certification.

3.4 Plot Transition within an Operation Site

When the surface of a site operated by an agricultural enterprise is not completely devoted to organic production, transition may be done on a given period of time, production unit by production unit (e.g. plot by plot, building by building, pond by pond), provided that the specifications standards are fully met for each converted unit. This same approach applies to livestock and storage facilities.

3.5 Transition Plan Applicable to Crop Production

An enterprise that manages an agricultural operation site, of one or more production units undergoing transition, shall prepare a transition plan that will be evaluated annually when the certification body does its monitoring.

3.5.1 The transition plan shall include:

a.	A history of all plots or fields (detailing crops, fertilization, pest control treatments, etc.) or any other production unit;
b.	The current situation and deviations from the standards;
c.	The progressive steps leading to the transition of all units associated with crop production;
d.	The list of changes to be made during transition (e.g. crop rotation, animal waste management, disease and weed control, etc.);
e.	Information on transition time limits and the anticipated time line.

3.5.2 The complete transition of a production unit should be done within a reasonable time limit and be carried out using the technical means permitted by these standards.

3.6 Split Crop Production Management

3.6.1 It may happen that at any given time the same operation site contains plots being used for organic crops while others are either undergoing transition or are being cultivated according to non-organic production modes (split crop production). In this case, products from the organic production units and those from the non-organic production units must:

a.	be capable of differentiation and distinguishable from each other (general appearance, colour, variety, types, etc.)
b.	be the object of a specific management method designed to prevent mixing and contamination.

3.6.2 Parallel production (where it is impossible to differentiate between organic products and non-organic products) is prohibited.

3.6.3 Within a given plot of land, alternating between organic production and any other method of production is prohibited.

3.6.4 It is strictly prohibited to make use of genetically modified organisms in any agricultural production activity happening anywhere within the production unit.

3.6.5 Spraying equipment used to apply unauthorized pesticides on unconverted plots shall be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed with running water before being used on admissible products, surfaces under transition or already converted. However it is recommended that two easily differentiated types of spraying equipment be used.

3.6.6 Products originating from unconverted plots or plots for which exemptions from the standards specifications have been granted shall not be marketed as organic.

3.6.7 Maintenance of machinery and equipment shall be carried out in a manner that will avoid all soil mixing during farming operations.

3.7 Buffer Zones

a.	No buffer zone is necessary when adequate physical barriers (e.g. ditches, hedges, windbreaks or roads) can ensure there is no risk to organic crops of contamination from neighbouring non-organic cultivation.
b.	When a risk of contamination resulting from the spraying of prohibited inputs does exist, then a buffer zone at least 8 metres wide is required in order to separate organic fields from non-organic fields.
c.	Should there be any doubt regarding possible contamination, inspectors could recommend an expanded buffer zones.