Advancing organic priorities during the 2025 federal election

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The upcoming federal election presents a key opportunity to elevate the profile of Canada’s organic sector. The Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA), in collaboration with our Canadian Organic Alliance partners—Canadian Organic Growers and Organic Federation of Canada—is refining policy recommendations, actively engaging candidates, and advocating for meaningful support for organics.

During the caretaker convention (see below), government actions are limited, but our collaborative advocacy is vital to making an impact.

Our pre-budget submission and election platform document outline priority areas for our sector. We encourage members to use our Advocacy Toolkit to connect with local candidates and attend the CFA Election Debate on Agriculture (see below) on April 17 at 5pm EDT.

Together, we can keep organics front and center in Canada’s policy agenda.

 

Read the Canadian Organic Growers’ blog on the topic here.

 

7 Advocacy tips for promoting organic in the election 

  1. Candidates are listening, and your input matters. The election is a critical moment to highlight how organic agriculture can help solve Canada’s most pressing issues—economic competitiveness, climate resilience, food security, and sustainability.  
  2. Our goal is simple: engage candidates in a brief interaction, leaving a positive impression and paving the way for deeper future involvement with the organic sector. You don’t need to be a policy expert—just connect, share a positive narrative, and help us find our political supporters. 
  3. Choose the way to connect with candidates that works best for you. 
         - Attend rallies, town halls, debates, or office openings 
         - Host a farm/facility visit 
         - Reach out via email 
         - Engage directly with candidates or canvassers at the door 
         - Use social media 
  4. Make your interaction memorable: Share a personal story to highlight the value of organics.  
  5. Use the Organic Advocacy Guide for bilingual tools and tips. Additional background resources and graphics have been included.  
  6. Check the latest election projections for your riding at 338Canada, and find a preliminary list of candidates.  
  7. Please report back to us if you are able to make any connections, by completing the Google form. For additional questions, please email:

My-Lien Bosch, Canada Organic Trade Association, mbosch@canada-organic.ca 
Katie Fettes, Canadian Organic Growers, katie.fettes@cog.ca.  

 

Access the Organic Advocacy Guide

View the webinar

Download the webinar slides

 

Frequently asked questions

  1. What is the caretaker convention?
    When the election was called on March 23, 2025, the caretaker convention was triggered, The caretaker convention in Canada limits a government’s actions during an election or after losing legislative confidence. During this time, the government is expected to limit its actions and avoid making significant decisions or policy changes that could bind or limit the incoming government. It ensures the government avoids major decisions that could affect the election outcome or restrict the incoming government’s authority.

 

  1. How do I join the Agriculture debate being hosted by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture?


Public Broadcast – April 17 at 5:00 p.m. EST (Bilingual) on CFA’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages, in both English and French.

Please note: The debate will air live for CFA members on April 17th (10:00 am EST) to allow for necessary post-production edits and to ensure bilingual delivery. Additionally, this timing avoids overlap with the Federal Party Leaders debate (featuring Prime Minister Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre, etc.), which will air nationally at 7:00 p.m. EST on April 17th.

 

CFA Debate Details

  • Moderators: Shaun Haney (RealAg Radio) & Martin Ménard (La Terre de chez nous, Quebec)
  • Exclusive Sponsor: Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP)
  • Participants:
    • Kody Blois, Minister of Agriculture
    • Political Representatives from: Bloc Québécois, Conservative Party, Green Party, and NDP

 

Debate Question Themes

The debate will focus on these key themes:

  • Regulatory Modernization
  • Business Risk Management Programs
  • Trade
  • Food Processing Capacity
  • Competitiveness
  • Sustainability
  • Infrastructure
  • CUSMA
  • Labour

 

Links to view debate online & amplify promotional graphics