The Organic Council of Ontario

Organization:
The Organic Council of Ontario (OCO) is a membership-based non-profit association based out of Guelph, Ontario. The primary mandate of the OCO is to represent the organic sector in Ontario. Its interests lie in the representation of all aspects of the organic sector supply chain, from ‘farm to fork’. Their primary aim is to provide leadership and support to members to facilitate the continued growth of Ontario’s organic sector. As of mid-2010 the OCO had a membership base of 234 registered members from across the entirety of Ontario’s organic sector.

Project:
The Organic Council of Ontario project was a three year project undertaken to form and establish an effective agency to represent the interests of participants and stakeholders in the organic sector of Ontario. The project was started in 2005 with the intention of fully constructing the council from the ground up. Early objectives included strong communication strategies within and external to the organic sector, as well as pursuing advocacy and support for the organic sector from industry and government.

Across the three year project, numerous major milestones were achieved. The organization started almost entirely dependent upon outside funding and moved quickly towards organizational sustainability. While the growth of the OCO continues, its rapid growth towards self-sufficiency has been exceptional for a fledgling non-profit.

The OCO has established a highly functional website which provides huge potential for information dissemination within the sector. In particular, the website has enabled members throughout the supply chain to communicate and share information openly and efficiently. The OCO has also seen great success in the field of communication and membership support through the publication of its quarterly newsletter and hosting a number of regional meetings and events. The internal communications strategies and member support development has been a resounding success for the council.

The OCO has played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of various consumer awareness initiatives and promotions. It has worked together with several industry leaders to successfully develop and implement a new Canada Organic Logo for certified consumer products.

In three years the council went from non-existent to being a major force in the organic sector and having far reaching influence into industry and government. The OCO has found particular success in the avenues of communication and member support programs development. Programs and initiatives targeting consumers have also been seen a high degree of success.

Role of the Agricultural Adaptation Council:
The AAC’s program options were felt to add significant value to the project in that they allowed the OCO to see, and work with, AAC staff to determine which funding programs would and would not fit. The advice garnered by the AAC saved the OCO a significant amount of work during the crucial early stages of the project.

The OCO Project found the AAC assistance to be very accommodating. The application process was viewed as fair and a need for changes to the program in 2009 was met with only minor delays related to the necessary budgetary adjustments and approvals required for the program change. While the bookkeeping requirements did introduce some additional work to the project, the AAC staff was felt to be very patient and helpful in providing assistance.

Overall the AAC was very important to the project. Of particular value was the partnership approach taken by the AAC. The AAC was viewed as a partner and the relationship was highly conducive to open communication and efficiency throughout. The OCO further noted that the AAC’s involvement in the project greatly increased the fledgling organization’s visibility, particularly with the Provincial Government. This allowed the OCO to quickly gain traction in the organic sector and facilitated communications and cooperation between the OCO and the Government.

For more information contact:
Nadine Armstrong
Manager, Communications and Industry Relations
Agricultural Adaptation Council
Ontario AgriCentre, Suite 103, 100 Stone Road West
Guelph, ON N1G 5L3
P: 519-822-7554 F: 519-822-6248
narmstrong@adaptcouncil.org