Differentiating “organic”, “natural” and “fair trade” products

“Organic” products must comply with Canadian organic standards established by Parliament and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which verifies that organic products sold in Canada are compliant with standards.

Products that are labelled “natural” are usually foods, personal care products, vitamins, medicinal plants, homeopathic remedies, or other kinds of supplements, such as amino acids, fatty acids, or minerals that are extracted from plants or synthesized in labs by precisely reproducing their natural molecules. Natural products are not organic unless both the products from which they are extracted and their processing methods are certified organic.

“Fair trade” products are marketed in accordance with a trade system that is respectful of workers’ rights and that aims to ensure they are paid a fair price for their work. Fair trade certification is thus based on the verification of trade practices, which are monitored by certification bodies such as TransFair Canada, a private organization that owns the “Fair Trade Certified” registered trademark. Many fair trade products are also labelled “organic” when they have been produced and certified in accordance with regulated organic standards. However, fair trade certification defines trade standards, whereas organic certification defines production and processing standards.