Costa Rican organic producers will have increased opportunities to export their products to Canada following an arrangement reached between officials from the two governments.
A press release sent Friday by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency states the Canada-Costa Rica Organic Equivalency Arrangement is “the outcome of an extensive analysis of both countries’ production and certification systems.”
The agreement will allow for easier import and export of certified organic products between the two nations without the need for additional certification, thus reducing costs and red tape for the industry.
“This arrangement with Costa Rica eliminates trade barriers to give organic producers a competitive edge,” said Canada’s Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “Canadian consumers will also benefit by having increased access to organic food options.”
Costa Rica and Canada have had a free trade agreement since 2002, and it was updated last September. According Costa Rican Foreign Trade Ministry data, total trade between the countries has increased from $102 million in 2002 to $273 million in 2011, a cumulative increase of 168 percent.
