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organic week

Organic Week photo contest – Be featured on our new website!

in COABC Blog

There are some pretty big things happening at the COABC right now, including a brand new website! We’re busy putting together a fresh, collaborative space that will engage BC’s organic sector on all levels, from producer to consumer, and will provide better support through improved tools, information and resources.

And that’s where you come in: Somehow, in between all of your planning, planting, harvesting, marketing and selling, you’ve managed to share some amazing photos. Trust us—we’ve noticed. Your photos are authentic, one-of-a-kind and tell the real story of BC organic. And that’s why we want to feature your images on our website (with credit, of course)!

Prizes

  • Grand prize: Your image will be featured front and centre on our new homepage
  • Second and third prize: Your image will be featured in another prominent location on our new website

How to enter:

Dig through your archives, or take a new photo of BC organic in action. We want to see it all: the fields, the faces, the sowing, the growing, the grazing, the processing, the selling and of course the eating! Just remember, all photos must be of organic operations that are either certified or transitional under the COABC umbrella.

  • Share your photos on Instagram, Facebook and/or Twitter with the hashtag #OrganicBC
  • Make sure your Facebook posts are public so we can see your photos!
  • Don’t use social media? Email your photos to Stacey at communications@certifiedorganic.bc.ca
  • Feel free to tell the story behind the photos to bring them to life!
  • That’s it! You’re entered to win.

All non-winning entries may also be used on our website in various locations—we’ll be in touch! All photos, winning or not, will include photo credits.

Contest duration

The contest opens first thing on Monday, Sept. 7th and runs until Monday, Oct. 12th at midnight (PDT)!

The fine print

  • Winners will be determined by a panel of judges.
  • All photos must be of organic operations that are either certified or transitional under the COABC umbrella.
  • Enter as many times as you’d like. The more photos, the merrier.
  • You must have access to the high-quality original. We will ask for it!
  • All photo orientations will be accepted, but landscape is preferred for the winning shots.
  • To be eligible for the prize, entrants must be legal residents of Canada and be of the age of majority or older at the time of entry in their province or territory.
  • This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Good luck! If you have any questions, please get in touch with Stacey at communications@certifiedorganic.bc.ca.

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11th Annual Organic Week Celebrations!

Canadian Organic Trade Association’s 11th Annual Organic Week Karen Squires Canada’s National Organic Week is the largest annual celebration of organic

11th Annual Organic Week Celebrations!

in 2020/Fall 2020/Organic Community

Canadian Organic Trade Association’s 11th Annual Organic Week

Karen Squires

Canada’s National Organic Week is the largest annual celebration of organic food, farming, and products across the country, and this year marks the 11th anniversary!

The celebration is a collaboration between the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) and its members and partners to grow awareness of organic across Canada.

The organic market represents almost 6.4 billion dollars in sales annually and continues to grow as two thirds of Canadians purchase organic products weekly. During COVID 19, survey results show Canadians are focusing more on healthy food and grocery shopping selection has become more important than ever.

The goal of Organic Week, happening September 7 to 13 this year, is to increase awareness of all organic products and to ensure consumers understand why it’s important to support organic, which promotes better overall health of people, animals, soil, and the planet. The theme of the campaign this year is “I Choose Organic,” which captures the essence of the importance of consumer choice and how it affects the planet, especially in relation to climate change. We are very pleased to see so much support and collaboration from members this year, especially with so many other competing priorities. As well, COTA has evolved the creative messaging to tell the Organic Story in a simple but compelling way through multiple media platforms.
The Organic Week campaign has multiple elements, including a national advertising campaign supported by The Globe and Mail and regional publications such as Now Magazine, The Georgia Straight and Montreal En Santé.

This year, for the first time, COTA is creating videos directly by farmers, sharing their story on why they grow organic. These videos are personal, engaging, informative, represent multiple sectors, and will be shared through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

The social media campaign will feature several contests with which consumers can engage to share their recipes and knowledge of organic, and win great prizes! In creating these contests, we also hope to spread more understanding on why choosing organic is an important decision and what it means to choose organic.

Ways to Participate

  • The Recipe contest is a simple and fun way to participate in Organic Week. Simply take a photo of your favourite organic recipe and post it on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest using the hashtag #OrganicWeek. We will also have a multitude of prizes from our sponsors so stay tuned.
  • Test your knowledge on organic with our IQ Quiz contest. The quiz consists of 10 questions that will test your knowledge on organic and upon completing the quiz you will be entered to win some prizes.
  • Our third contest is the Spot Canada Organic Contest, which highlights an interactive way for our contestants to be on the lookout for organic products. To participate, if you see the Canada Organic logo take a picture and share using the hashtag #OrganicWeek on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

All three contests open September 1st, 2020 at 12am EST / 9pm PST and end September 30th, 2020 at 11:59pm EST / 8:59pm PST. The winners will be selected based off creativity and presentation and will be announced on Facebook and Instagram on October 10th, 2020. This year we are also continuing with our #OrganicChat campaign.

Another important component of this campaign is the engagement of retailers across Canada. Retailers selling and promoting organic products will be highlighting organic and offering incentives during Organic Week. As such, COTA provides these retailers with display materials that are used to celebrate Organic Week and educate consumers. Stay tuned as many retailers across the country look at new and innovative ways to help consumers discover organic products during the month of September. Two thirds of Canadians purchase organic products weekly, a number which continues to grow—and we want to help consumers make informed healthy lifestyle decisions.

Outside of the campaign, COTA also provides a series of new research through data reports and surveys. We have found that during the pandemic many people are still choosing organic, even with the challenges they are facing. This newfound information has showcased to us and our members how significant organic is, especially when society is faced with new challenges. COTA features a multitude of resources outlining the significance of the sector and what COTA, along with our members, does on our website.

COTA would like to thank COABC and everyone in BC’s organic sector for their ongoing support and collaboration. To learn more about COTA and membership with COTA, find information about research reports, and to receive ongoing communications and support, please visit canada-organic.ca

Organic Week is coordinated by The Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) with the help and support of their sponsors and members who make it possible. COTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public, and the economy.

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Organic Week! September 9-15, 2019

in 2019/Fall 2019/Marketing/Organic Community/Standards Updates

Supporting the Entire Organic Food Chain by Increasing Awareness of Organic Products Nationally

Karen Squires

This year will mark the big 10th year anniversary of Organic Week occurring September 9-15, 2019! Please check out Canadian Organic Trade Association’s (COTA) website for more information on Organic Week 2019, our online contests launching in July, our IQ Organic Quiz launching September 2 and our ongoing national consumer awareness campaign.

The Organic Grows On You campaign was launched this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Organic Week. The concept is a play on “you are what you eat,” reinforcing the notion of choosing organic and feeling good about yourself and your choices. The campaign’s secondary message, “invest in yourself,” is a subtle way to reinforce feeling more connected to your food source and the farmers who grow it—by choosing organic you are shopping with your values in mind and organic is an investment in your health and the environment.

COTA coordinates Canada’s national organic consumer marketing campaigns on behalf of its members and the industry. You can review the Organic Week 2018 Overview Report on COTA’s website to get a sense of the reach the campaign had last year, which engaged over 3,500 retailers nationally, distributed 1,144 point of sales kits to retailers, achieved 4 million advertising impressions, 8 million social media impressions and reached millions of Canadian consumers. COTA works in collaboration with provincial associations and industry from across the country to lead this campaign each year.

Organic Week is a massive collaborative undertaking, coordinating industry to cross promote and reach new Canadian audiences with a synchronized marketing strategy, engaging at all levels (retail, community events, media via magazines, newspapers, online and consumer contests, etc) to reach Canadian consumers to deepen their knowledge of organic, reaffirm their commitment to purchase organic, or learn about organic for the first time. After last year’s Organic Week activities, IPSOS polling of 1,000 Canadians indicated that public trust in Organic rose 4% directly after our marketing efforts, landing at 48%. Sixty six percent of Canadians are purchasing organic products weekly! Make sure your brand is seen as a leader and is at the forefront of Canadian’s minds, as a committed company offering organic products.

For more information on Organic Week, please contact Lauren Howard at intern@canada-organic.ca. Lauren will be happy to explain the various ways you can get involved in future events, including joining in the conversation on social media, having in store promotions or holding special events in your community!

Otherwise, for more information on membership or partnerships with COTA, please contact ksquires@canada-organic.ca.

Karen Squires joined COTA as Member Relations & Business Development Manager with over 15 years’ senior level experience in the non-for-profit sector. Karen works with COTA members to develop innovative partnership models that leverage budgets while continuing to advance Canada’s organic sector!

Feature image: Organic cauliflower. Credit: Moss Dance

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