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CertificationsIn Quebec, there are nine accredited organic certification bodies:• Atlantic Certified Organic Co-operative Ltd. (ACO) ECOCERT CANADA is the certification body that certifies Ferme St-Ours and Ferme des Patriotes. This organization performs punctual verifications which mean that the inspectors pay annual visits, sometimes unannounced; to make sure that production standards are respected by certified producers. If it is the case, Ecocert Canada delivers a certificate attesting the conformity of the products produced with organic production methods. As a private corporation, Ecocert Canada is independent from all commercial structures. A team of qualified inspectors, trained according to their needs, carry out on-site controls. Members of the various decisional committees oversee the application of the regulations, in all impartiality. These people, coming from professional environments tied to the organic agricultural and secondary production, work as volunteers in these decision-making positions. And finally, everyone working on files must respect their confidentiality. Source : Ecocert Canada So, to be certified organic, the poultry production must abide to several standards such as the freedom of hens in hen houses with defined space for every hen, organic feed, hens having free run access to the open air when weather permits, etc. As for the maple syrup production, there is a limit number of taps per tree allowed, the cleaning products used are natural and respect the environment, etc. Fields are free of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and GMO seeds. The processed products must contain more than 5 % of certified organic ingredients. All of the certification standards, according to the different productions, are available on the Ecocert Canada Web site. |
