To round out the revision of the Organic Standards, the Organic Federation of Canada (OFC) and Canadian Organic Growers (COG) have collaborated to update the Guide to the Canadian Organic Standards.
The OFC and COG announce that the Guide to the Canadian Organic Standards 2026 is now published and available for use.
This online publication is designed to help producers, processors and other stakeholders to understand the 2026 Canadian Organic Standards.
It incorporates the many changes made to the Canadian Organic Standards in terms of both required practices and permitted substances and it includes two documents:
- Guide to Organic Principles and Management Standards—CAN/CGSB-32.310
- Guide to Lists of Permitted Substances—CAN/CGSB-32.311.
The guidance, includes explanations, examples and clarifications regarding prescribed practices and permitted substances. To understand the standards fully, readers should consult the entire standards; the current editions can be found on the CFIA website.
The guide also reflects the interpretation of the standards by the Standards Interpretation Committee (AGRI-SIC ), which is overseen by the OFC in partnership with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Readers can learn more about the Canadian Organic Standards by reading the Final Q&As published by the OFC. The questions are submitted by the public and the AGRI-SIC’s answers are binding.
Other sources of information
on the Canadian Organic Standards 2026
The OFC Webinars
Crop Production – Updates to the 2026 Canadian Organic Standards
Updates on
CAN/CGSB-32.310 – Organic principles and management standards
Section 5 – Crop Production
Section 7.5 – Crops grown in structures or in containers
CAN/CGSB-32.311 – Permitted Substances Lists Table 4.2
Livestock Production – Apiculture – Organic Insects
Updates on CAN/CGSB-32.310
Section 6 – Livestock Production
Section 7.1 – Apiculture
Section 7.7 – Organic Insects
Organic Composition – Organic Integrity – Permitted Substances Lists in Processing
Updates on
CAN/CGSB-32.310 – Organic Principles and management standards
Section 8 – Organic Integrity
Section 9 – Organic Composition
CAN/CGSB-32.311 – Permitted Substances Lists
Tables 6.3 to 6.5, 7.3, 7.4, 8.2, 8.3
A Comparison of the 2020 and 2026 Canadian Organic Standards
A useful tool for understanding the changes to the practices and substances prescribed by the Canadian Organic Standards!
The compared versions of the Canadian Organic Standards :