Natural Products Marketing Council

The Natural Products Marketing Council is an administrative and adjudicative agency of the provincial government with supervisory jurisdiction over the Province’s commodity boards under the Natural Products Act and the Dairy Industry Act. These statutes govern regulated marketing in Nova Scotia, including the production and marketing of dairy, egg, chicken, turkey, beef, pork, and potato products.

Regulated marketing is an approach to the production and marketing of agricultural commodities designed to enable producers to use their industry knowledge in developing and implementing strategies for industry production and growth. Under regulated marketing, the market is controlled under legislation, which is in turn supported by regulations. This legislation provides for the establishment of industry commodity boards comprised of producers and supervised by an independent oversight agency. In Nova Scotia, regulated marketing is governed under both the Natural Products Act and the Dairy Industry Act and the oversight agency is the Natural Products Marketing Council. In industries that are supply-managed, the provincial framework is integrated with national legislation and regulations that enable the creation of national agencies and provide for national agreements.

Legislative framework

Regulated marketing in Nova Scotia is governed under the Natural Products Act and the Dairy Industry Act.

The Nova Scotia Legislature passed the original Natural Products Marketing Act in 1946. At that time, the Governor in Council established the Nova Scotia Marketing Board to administer the Act and supervise regulated marketing. In 1982, the Natural Products Act updated the legislative framework and the Board became the Natural Products Marketing Council. The Legislature made a significant amendment to the Natural Products Act in 2002, enabling Council to make certain regulations without Governor in Council approval. The Dairy Industry Act had given Council a similar regulation-making power in 2000 with respect to dairy industry governance.

The jurisdiction of Council over the dairy industry in Nova Scotia has changed over time. The Dairy Commission Act established the Nova Scotia Dairy Commission in 1967. The Commission regulated and supervised the dairy industry in Nova Scotia until the Act was repealed and replaced in 2000 by the Dairy Industry Act, which was proclaimed in 2001. The Dairy Industry Act defines the role of both Council and the Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia in the Nova Scotia dairy industry, in addition to other stakeholders.

Contact

Danielle Dorn Kouwenberg
Acting Director, Natural Products Marketing Council
Tel: 902-893-6511
Fax: 902-893-6573
Email:

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