A working group is looking into why many small-scale farmers are choosing not to certify their farms as organic.
It's made up of organic consultants and farmers.
A survey of farmers across the country got almost 200 responses.
A common concern was that a certification process designed for international and national trade doesn't work well for diversified small farms focused on local markets.
Other concerns raised by the survey were the cost, the amount of paperwork and the responsiveness of certifying bodies to requests.
Now the working group is going to focus on developing the concepts of Peer Certification and Self Declaration as options for small organic farm operations.
Working group member Shannon Jones says organic farmers, large and small, need to work together to strengthen their industry.
More details on the Small Scale Organic Working Group is available through the Organic Federation of Canada's website.
