COTA hosts first Organic Gala & Leadership Awards Dinner

The Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) hosted its inaugural Organic Gala Leadership Awards Dinner in Vancouver, British Columbia, in April. The event brought together nearly 100 members and industry leaders from across the organic sector to celebrate the accomplishments of organic actors. The 2017 Organic Leadership award winners were:

Organic Supplier of the Year:  Left Coast Naturals 

COTA’s Export Program offers trade opportunities

By Marie-Eve Levert

Canada has five organic equivalencies, including four with key importing countries and regions—the United States, European Union, Japan and Switzerland. Our equivalencies give Canadian companies access to the organic market of 32 countries that represent more than 90 percent of the overall demands for organic worldwide.

Although it feels as if I’ve known Matthew Holmes my entire life, I’m sure we first met at an ACORN (Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network) conference. I knew his wonderful wife Beth McMahon, ACORN’s Executive Director, who introduced us. Very soon after that, Matt became ACORN’s interim ED while Beth was on maternity leave.

The Canada Organic Trade Association’s (COTA’s) Board of Directors in early March appointed Tia Loftsgard as Executive Director of the association.