Pacific Agricultural Certification Society (PACS)

What Pacific Agricultural Certification Society (PACS) does

PACS is an incorporated not-for-profit certification society headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, that provides organic certification services to Canadian enterprises. Founded in 2001 by health-minded individuals supporting a sustainable food system, PACS is accredited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to deliver Canada Organic Regime (COR) certification, which permits organic claims on interprovincial sales and international exports. The organization also delivers the British Columbia Certified Organic Program (BCCOP) in partnership with the Certified Organic Associations of BC (COABC), an in-house PACS Provincial Certification Program for operators outside BC, and specialized certification programs for organic cannabis and natural health products.

PACS's technology comprises organic certification verification and compliance assessment systems, with notable interoperability integration into the USDA's Organic Integrity Database (OID) for issuing NOP Import Certificates and maintaining operation profiles under the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule. The organization maintains documented standards, directives, and manuals, and requires verification officer candidates to complete International Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) training. The underlying workflow is staff-driven: PACS guides clients through registration, document review, on-site inspection, certification decisions, and ongoing compliance monitoring.

PACS operates a sales-led and community-led go-to-market motion, acquiring clients through industry referrals, peer recommendations, regional organic associations, and organic industry events. The revenue model is per-use subscription billing with floating scale fees tied to the size and complexity of the client operation, deliberately structured so fees track costs rather than profits. Client segments span small growers to multi-million-dollar food processors and distributors across organic crop production, livestock, greenhouse, sprouts and microgreens, food and beverage processing, cannabis, mushrooms, wild-harvest, and maple/birch production. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Alena Renton.

Name

Pacific Agricultural Certification Society (PACS)

Legal name

Pacific Agricultural Certification Society

Website

https://pacscertifiedorganic.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PACS is a Canadian not-for-profit certification body accredited by CFIA that issues Canada Organic Regime organic certifications to enterprises nationwide, ranging from small growers to large food processors across crops, livestock, greenhouse, food processing, and cannabis verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Certification Services

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFALAMAA

Organic Certification Services

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Certification Services (Organic, Non-GMO, etc.)

SECONDARYAFALACAA

Accredited Certification Bodies (CBs) – ISO 22000/FSSC 22000/BRCGS/SQF

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Food Safety Certification Bodies (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF)

SECONDARYAFALACAE

Pre-Assessment, Gap Assessment & Certification Readiness Services

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Food Safety Certification Bodies (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF)

Keywords

• Organic certification services
• Canada Organic Regime
• Agricultural compliance verification
• Organic standards inspection
• Food safety certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Vernon

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Organic Certification Services: PACS provides organic certification services to Canadian enterprises across various industries. As a not-for-profit society, certification fees are charged on a per-use basis and are tied specifically to costs. The organization offers floating scale fees to keep costs accessible to all clients, from small growers to multi-million dollar food processors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PACS is an incorporated not-for-profit certification body that provides organic certification services accredited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) under the Canada Organic Regime (COR) for interprovincial and international export, as well as the British Columbia Certified Organic Program (BCCOP) for in-province sales. It certifies enterprises across crop production, livestock, greenhouse, sprouts and microgreens, food and beverage processing, cannabis, mushrooms, wild-harvest, maple/birch, and natural health products using floating scale fees tied to operating costs.

Product overview

PACS offers a portfolio of organic certification services including Canada Organic Regime (COR) certification for national and international export, BCCOP for BC-only sales, and provincial programs for other Canadian territories. The organization also provides specialized certification for natural health products, cannabis, and a Transition to Organic program for farms converting to organic practices. PACS certifies across multiple industries: organic crop production, livestock, greenhouse, sprouts and microgreens, food and beverage production, mushrooms, wild-harvest, maple and birch, and agricultural health products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Canada Organic Regime (COR) Certification Federal organic certification accredited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). Permits organic claims on interprovincial sales and international export of organic products. Available to Canadian enterprises across crop production, livestock, greenhouse, sprouts, food and beverage processing, mushrooms, maple/birch, wild-harvest, and agricultural health products.
• British Columbia Certified Organic Program (BCCOP) Regional certification program for operators in British Columbia who sell products within BC only, delivered through the Certified Organic Associations of BC. Supports compliance with the B.C. Organic Certification Regulation effective September 1, 2018.
• PACS Provincial Certification Program In-house certification program for operators located outside of British Columbia who sell organic products within their own province or territory.
• Natural Health Products Certification PACS internal program for organic certification of natural health products, including supplements and remedies, covering product suitability assessments and permitted substance lists for health products.
• Transition to Organic Program Program supporting operators transitioning from conventional to organic production methods, helping guide operations through the multi-year transition period required before full organic certification.
• Organic Cannabis Certification Certification program for organic cannabis production, supporting licensed producers navigating dual compliance with Health Canada cannabis regulations and Canadian Organic Standards.

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Certified Organic Associations of BC (COABC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPACS certifies to the British Columbia Certified Organic Program (BCCOP) for clients selling products within BC only. COABC is a key regulatory partner for regional organic certification in British Columbia.
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPACS is accredited by CFIA for Canada Organic Regime (COR) certification. CFIA oversight provides regulatory authority for organic certification under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR).
• International Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPACS requires Verification Officer candidates to complete training from IOIA, including Basic Crop Inspection Training, Basic Processing Inspection, and/or Basic Livestock Inspection courses aligned with Canada Organic Regime standards.
• USDA Organic Integrity Database (OID)coreTechnology or IntegrationPACS issues NOP Import Certificates and maintains operation profiles through the USDA's Organic Integrity Database (OID) to support US export compliance under the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-agricultural-certification-society-pacs

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Agricultural Certification Society (PACS)