International and interconnected systems can be rife with uncertainty. This is especially true of the global food supply, with challenges aggravated by the pandemic. Supply disruptions highlighted the fallibility of the global supply chain, as well as the lack of capacity of domestic and local food systems, particularly in Canada.

The Canadian organic industry represents over 7,900 producers of a number of commodities including food and beverages, livestock and livestock feed, fibre, and many others. In 2022, the industry grew to $9.35 billion, with the non-food sector growing at a faster rate than food and beverage, although the latter represents 80 percent of the total market. Yet despite the sector’s great promise and strong growth year over year, myriad barriers are preventing the organic market from reaching its full potential, and the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) is at the forefront of efforts to make Canada a leader in organic.

According to the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), businesses must commit to social and environmental concerns in equal measure to their commitment to profits. In other words, there isn’t just one bottom line; there are three: people, planet, and profit. In fact, the theory maintains that if a company only focuses on its earnings, without regard to the social and environmental impact, then it is impossible to gather a full and accurate cost of doing business.