Toronto - The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario announced its cabinet today, and the Organic Council of Ontario is pleased to welcome a new leadership team to the province of Ontario, which we hope will bring a renewed focus on prosperity to Ontario’s agricultural sector.
In particular, we look forward to working more closely with Ernie Hardeman, who was sworn in today as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. We look forward to engaging Minister Hardeman in further discussion on creating an organic regulation in Ontario, which would protect the investments of Ontario’s organic farms and businesses.
We are also pleased to welcome Rod Phillips to the position of Minister of the Environment. Provincially, agriculture is an important area for addressing environmental issues. We look forward to working with Minister Phillips to gain support for agricultural issues that affect the environment.
Additionally, we are looking forward to working more closely with the NDP agriculture critic, as well as Ontario's first Green MPP, Mike Schreiner.
Finally, we wish to extend a warm welcome to our new Premier, Doug Ford. The Organic Council of Ontario hopes that, under Premier Ford’s leadership, we will see changes that will have a positive effect on the rural regions of this province, making it easier for all farmers to do business successfully.
About the Organic Council of Ontario
The Organic Council of Ontario (OCO) is the Voice for Organics in Ontario. It is the only full value chain association operating at the provincial level. OCO represents over 1000 certified organic operators, as well as the businesses, organizations, and individuals that bring food from farm to plate. OCO works to incite sector growth, support research, improve training, increase data collection, encourage market development, protect the integrity of organic claims, and inform the public of the benefits and requirements of organic agriculture.
Source : OCO