Building trust and understanding: Helping Canadians choose organic
With so many health food claims for consumers to consider, the organic logo continues to be a trusted symbol for Canadians.
According to the Canadian Organic Market: Trends and Opportunities 2026, published by Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA), the Canadian organic market was valued at $11.88 billion in 2025, demonstrating that there is continuous demand for organic products. In fact, 68 percent of Canadians report high or moderate trust in the Canada Organic logo, making it one of the most credible food certifications in the country. This trust creates a strong foundation for education and engagement, and it highlights an important opportunity—helping consumers better understand what organic truly means.
For many customers, shopping organic is defined through clear, tangible benefits. Canadians most often associate organic with the avoidance of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers (77 percent); antibiotics and synthetic hormones (74 percent); and artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives (68 percent).
However, while 90 percent of Canadians are familiar with the term organic, there remains a knowledge gap around how organic certification works. Only about half of consumers can connect organic certification with regulated and enforced standards, suggesting that there is room for industry professionals to help strengthen this understanding. This is where COTA’s resources and educational tools can play a key role: helping translate certification into clear, relatable benefits that support informed decisions.
The opportunity is especially strong among younger consumers. Gen Z shows the strongest interest in organic products, with more than half of them seeing organic as an important factor when shopping. This, combined with the fact that nearly one-third of Canadians are willing to pay more for organics, shows a clear path forward: concise content and visually engaging education. The goal is to help consumers connect shopping the organic label to its role in diminishing environmental impacts, protecting nature, and preserving health.
By leveraging trusted facts and accessible messaging, COTA can help Canadians better understand what organic truly means while empowering them to confidently choose organic when shopping.
For organic online education, follow COTA’s Eventbrite for updates on webinars: eventbrite.ca/o/canada-organic-trade-association-13701998257
For COTA’s resources and training, check out: canada-organic.myshopify.com/collections