Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants

What Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants does

The Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants (CARTV) is a non-profit legal entity created by the Government of Quebec in 2006 under the Act respecting Reserved Designations and Added-Value Claims (Loi sur les appellations réservées et les termes valorisants). It is the sole statutory authority in Quebec responsible for recognizing reserved designations and added-value claims for distinctive agri-food products, accrediting the independent certification bodies that verify compliance, and conducting market surveillance to enforce product authenticity. CARTV oversees 9 recognized designations — 5 Protected Geographical Indications (Acerum du Québec, Agneau de Charlevoix, Cidre de glace du Québec, Maïs sucré de Neuville, Vin du Québec, Vin de glace du Québec), 1 Appellation of Specificity (Fromage de vache de race Canadienne), 1 production-mode designation (Biologique / Organic), and 1 added-value claim (Fromage fermier) — with two further projects (Fromage à poutine du Québec and Spiritueux d'origine agricole du Québec) currently in development.

The organization operates a core service stack consisting of (i) appellation recognition processing, (ii) accreditation of certification bodies (such as Ecocert Canada and Québec Vrai), and (iii) market surveillance against fraud and misrepresentation. It publishes official logos and a Graphic Standards Manual developed jointly with MAPAQ, maintains public-facing resources including the Portail Bio Québec statistics portal, the certified organic products directory, and a Google Maps viewer of CARTV-certified businesses, and produces the web series 'La somme' profiling certified producers and processors. It does not develop or sell proprietary technology products.

CARTV is entirely publicly funded through Quebec government appropriations under the supervision of the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ), which holds final decision authority on appellation recognitions. It does not charge fees to producers, processors, or consumers, and has no commercial revenue streams. Its customers in a service-delivery sense are Quebec agri-food producers and processors seeking appellation recognition, certification bodies seeking accreditation, and end consumers relying on CARTV-certified logos for product authenticity assurance. Strategic partnerships include an enhanced agreement with the Institut du tourisme et de l'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) signed in January 2026 to integrate CARTV-certified products into culinary education and hospitality programs.

Name

Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants

Legal name

Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants

Website

https://cartv.gouv.qc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants (CARTV) is a Quebec government-created non-profit regulatory body that recognizes, protects, and enforces 9 reserved designations and added-value claims for distinctive Quebec agri-food products, serving producers, processors, certification bodies, and consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agrifood Designation Regulation and Certification Accreditation

NAICS

Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (926140)

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation & Oversight Bodies for Food Safety Certification (ABs/Scheme Owners) (AFALACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geographic Indication & Origin/Authenticity Certification (PDO/PGI, Country-of-Origin) (AFALAMAJ), Certification Program Administration & Scheme Management (Standard Owners) (AFALACAC)

Keywords

• Geographical indication certification
• Agrifood designation regulation
• Organic certification oversight
• Certification body accreditation
• Reserved appellation administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Regulatory oversight and accreditation services: As a non-profit entity created by the Quebec government, CARTV's operations are funded by government appropriations. It provides regulatory oversight of the reserved designations and terms valorisants system, including accreditation of certification bodies and market surveillance, at no direct charge to the public. The organization does not derive commercial revenue from product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants (CARTV) is the Quebec government-mandated regulatory body that recognizes, administers, and protects reserved designations and added-value claims for distinctive Quebec agri-food products. It runs the formal appellation recognition process, accredits independent certification bodies (such as Ecocert Canada and Québec Vrai) that verify product compliance, and conducts market surveillance to ensure products bearing recognized designations meet established standards. It also maintains the Portail Bio Québec statistics portal and the Répertoire Bio directory of certified organic products.

Product overview

CARTV is a non-profit regulatory body created by the Quebec government in 2006 to manage and protect reserved designations and added-value claims for distinctive Quebec agri-food products. The organization oversees 9 recognized designations: 5 Protected Geographical Indications (IGP) for Acerum du Québec, Agneau de Charlevoix, Cidre de glace du Québec, Maïs sucré de Neuville, Vin de glace du Québec, and Vin du Québec; 1 Appellation of Specificity for Fromage de vache de race Canadienne; 1 production mode designation for Biologique (Organic); and 1 Added-Value Claim (terme valorisant) for Fromage fermier. CARTV also manages 2 ongoing designation projects (Fromage à poutine du Québec and Spiritueux d'origine agricole du Québec). Core services include certifying and accrediting certification bodies, conducting market surveillance, and providing public resources including the Portail Bio Québec and the certified organic products directory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certification Body Accreditation Formal accreditation service by which CARTV authorizes independent third-party certification bodies (such as Ecocert Canada and Québec Vrai) to verify compliance of agrifood products with Quebec's reserved designation and added-value claim standards. Designed for certification organizations operating in Quebec.
• Market Surveillance of Reserved Designations Ongoing regulatory function whereby CARTV monitors Quebec marketplaces to verify that products bearing reserved designations or added-value claims meet their established standards, ensuring consumers are not deceived and certification integrity is preserved.
• Portail Bio Québec CARTV-managed public statistics portal providing up-to-date data on Quebec's organic sector and its evolution, accessible at portailbioquebec.info.
• Répertoire des produits biologiques certifiés Searchable public directory of certified organic products and the businesses that market them, hosted at produitsbioquebec.info.

Quantifiable outcome

• Quebec achieved its goal of doubling organic farmland ahead of schedule — the 2025 target was met by 2020.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Institut du tourisme et de l'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2026ITHQ and CARTV signed an enhanced agreement in January 2026 to further promote Quebec's reserved designations. ITHQ incorporates CARTV-certified products into its culinary education and hospitality programs, while CARTV benefits from ITHQ's expertise in gastronomy and tourism to raise the profile of Quebec's distinctive food products. The partnership is described as 'passing to a higher gear' to make Quebec appellations shine.
• Ecocert CanadacoreOthersEcocert Canada is one of the primary certification bodies accredited by CARTV to certify organic and other designated products in Quebec. It conducts on-site inspections and grants certifications against CARTV's standards.
• Québec VraicoreOthersQuébec Vrai is one of the most recognized certification bodies in Quebec for organic products, accredited by CARTV to perform certifications against established standards.
• Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ)coreOthersMAPAQ develops official logos for each reserved designation and the Graphic Standards Manual. CARTV operates under the authority of the Minister of Agriculture, who makes final decisions on appellation recognitions.
• Portefeuille Google Maps des entreprises CARTVminorOthersAn interactive Google Maps viewer displays CARTV-certified businesses across Quebec, enabling consumers and buyers to locate producers and processors holding CARTV-certified appellations.
• Portail Bio QuébecminorOthersA CARTV-managed portal providing up-to-date statistics on Quebec's organic sector and its evolution, accessible to the public.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ministero dell'Agricoltura, della Sovranità Alimentare e delle Foreste (MASAF) - PDO/PGI Italy: Italian ministry responsible for PDO/PGI/TSG designations and protection of Italy's extensive geographical indication system. Comparable structure to CARTV but at national scale with hundreds of recognized appellations.
• Food Standards Agency (UK): UK government body overseeing food safety, labeling, and protected food names. Comparable regulatory function to CARTV for reserved designations and market surveillance, though at a national scale with broader remit.
• USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS): US federal body administering organic certification, country-of-origin labeling, and specialty crop programs. Comparable to CARTV in administering national organic standards and market oversight for designated claims.
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA): Federal Canadian agency responsible for food safety, labeling compliance, and organic product standards under the Canada Organic Regime. Overlaps with CARTV on organic certification oversight but operates federally and more broadly.

Emerging players

• Australia Wine Research Institute: Research-driven Australian organization supporting authentication and labeling integrity for Australian wine. Comparable in focus on verifiable origin and quality claims for a specific product category that overlaps CARTV's wine IGP programs.
• China - National Intellectual Property Administration (GI Division): Chinese authority administering geographical indication protection for agricultural products. Operates a rapidly growing GI system comparable in structure to CARTV's appellation reserved framework.

Regional players

• Quality Meat Scotland (QMS): Non-departmental public body in Scotland that runs whole-of-supply-chain quality assurance schemes for Scotch Beef, Lamb, and Pork — similar to CARTV's assurance-and-marketing role for Quebec lamb (Agneau de Charlevoix) and other designated products.

Direct peers

• Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité (INAO): French government body overseeing AOP/AOC, IGP, Label Rouge, and organic certifications. Closest functional equivalent to CARTV, with a longer-established national framework for appellations and accreditation of certification bodies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/conseildesappellations
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conseildesappellations
• Instagraminstagram.com/conseildesappellations

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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