The Canada Organic Trade Association is the membership-based association for the organic sector in Canada: representing growers, processors, certifiers, provincial farmers' associations, importers, exporters, retailers and others throughout the organic value chain. COTA's mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy. COTA brings together the diversity of Canada’s organic sector: from farmer and processor to retail, including food products, fibre and textiles, personal care, and emerging sectors such as organic aquaculture. COTA is a member-service organization: providing information, data and strategic insights to its membership base, representing organic to the media and government, and leading consumer education and promotion campaigns to benefit organic. COTA is the co-founder of Organic Week and manages the national “Choose Canada Organic” campaign. COTA protects organic by playing an active role in standard-setting and industry priority-setting, as well as influence on important regulatory issues, including a seat on the Plant Breeders’ Rights Advisory Committee. COTA also leads a series of export missions internationally: promoting Canadian organic products abroad, building market intelligence on key markets, and developing the market and regulatory conditions to benefit Canadian organic companies abroad. COTA has been a champion of organic equivalency arrangements to encourage trade and improve market access for Canadian operators. COTA places a premium on its relationship with Canada’s government in Ottawa, and takes a leadership role on behalf of the organic sector to ensure our stakeholders and their needs are heard by policymakers.