The Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) seeks to enhance the environment and people’s lives by promoting access to organic products. With an overarching goal to connect and support the Canadian organic supply chain, COTA focuses its activities in three key areas: government relations, consumer education, and global market development.
Recently, COTA was awarded more than $95k in export marketing grants through AgriMarketing, a Canadian government funding stream for agriculture and agri-food businesses.
AgriMarketing will support the attendance of COTA representatives at international trade shows and conferences. In addition, the trade show grant will facilitate increased food exports by raising awareness of Canadian organic products in Asian, American, Latin American, and European key markets. These activities align with COTA’s international market development strategy.
COTA earns Market Development Funding from AgriMarketing
As a membership-based business association, the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) represents Canada’s organic growers, processors, certifiers, shippers, distributors, retailers, and beyond. With an estimated $5.4 billion in annual sales in Canada alone, certified organic products play a significant role within the country’s agriculture and agri-food industry. Enhancing this sub-sector represents an opportunity for Canada’s agriculture-related industry performance to thrive in coming years.
COTA has been awarded $95,114 in Canadian government funding to offset the costs of trade show marketing projects boosting awareness for organic products.
Increasing export market opportunities for the Canadian organics industry is the reason why the Canada Organic Trade Association will receive nearly $100,000 in government funding. This recently announced investment will help COTA attend international conferences and trade shows, lead outgoing missions, and raise awareness of Canadian organic products in Europe, United States, Asia and Latin America; these are all key markets where the demand for Canadian organic products has potential to grow significantly.
About AgriMarketing Grants for Business Expansion
The AgriMarketing Program provides government funding to support the international expansion of Canadian-based agriculture and agri-food businesses. Companies may use this funding to directly offset a portion of costs related to the development of export market plans, as well as attending key industry events such as trade shows or government-led trade missions. Industry organizations such as the Canada Organic Trade Association may also qualify for the fund if international business development projects directly support Canadian businesses.
Through the AgriMarketing Program, Canadian businesses can receive up to 50% of eligible project costs to a maximum of $50,000 in Canadian agriculture funding.
AgriMarketing has recently been expanded as part of the federal government’s new Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). This new suite of government funding programs expands on the successes of Growing Forward 2 (GF2) and supports Canada’s agricultural producers, processors, and industry associations.
To access market research and other resources to assist your upcoming export expansion project, please explore Mentor Works’ Business Guide to Export Expansion.