Discovery Organics

What Discovery Organics does

Discovery Organics is an independently owned Canadian wholesale distributor of Certified Organic and Fair Trade produce, headquartered at 880 Malkin Avenue (Produce Row) in Vancouver, BC, with a secondary warehouse in Calgary. Founded in 1999 by Annie Moss and Randy Hooper, the company sources produce from small-scale farmers in British Columbia, Mexico, and Chile, and distributes to hundreds of natural food retailers, wholesalers, and buying clubs across Western Canada and the Northern Territories. The company's operating model is built around dual certification (organic and fair trade), which functions as both a procurement filter and a customer value proposition, supported by a PACS Certified Organic warehouse facility, a Fairtrade Canada importer license, and a portfolio of six active certifications (PACS, Fairtrade Canada, COABC, CanadaGAP, USDA Organic, COR).

Revenue is generated through wholesale produce distribution (transaction-fee margin model), with Discovery purchasing from certified organic and fair trade growers and reselling to retail and wholesale customers at volume-based pricing. The company runs a sales-led go-to-market motion with direct relationship management across its retail and wholesale accounts, and supports customers with add-on services including an Enclosure Program and Retailer Tools. Owner-operators Annie Moss and Randy Hooper remain actively involved (Randy as Managing Director and lead buyer), alongside a leadership team that includes President/lead purchaser Stefan Misse and VP of Business Development Damien Bryan. The current workforce totals approximately 70 employees, of whom roughly 50 form the warehouse crew (Receivers/Shippers, Quality Controllers, Pickers, Sorters, Banana Ripeners), with the balance in sales, administration, and logistics roles such as customs and accounts payable.

Name

Discovery Organics

Legal name

Discover Organics Ltd.

Website

https://discoveryorganics.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Discovery Organics is an independently owned Canadian wholesale distributor, founded in 1999, that sources Certified Organic and Fair Trade produce from small-scale farmers in BC, Mexico, and Chile, and distributes to hundreds of natural food retailers, wholesalers, and buying clubs across Western Canada and the Northern Territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic and Fair Trade Produce Distribution

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448)

SIC

Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh Organic Produce Wholesale (AFAIAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Natural & Organic Foods Distribution (CRAOABAH)

Keywords

• Organic produce distribution
• Fair trade produce
• Wholesale food distribution
• Certified organic wholesale
• Natural food supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Produce Distribution: Discovery Organics generates revenue through wholesale distribution of Certified Organic and Fair Trade produce to natural food retailers and wholesalers across Western Canada and Northern Territories. The company purchases produce from certified organic and fair trade farmers and resells to hundreds of customer accounts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Discovery Organics is an independently owned Canadian wholesale distributor that purchases Certified Organic and Fair Trade produce from small-scale farmers in British Columbia, Mexico, and Chile, and resells it to natural food retailers, wholesalers, and buying clubs across Western Canada and the Northern Territories. Operations are anchored by a PACS Certified Organic warehouse facility in Vancouver (with a secondary facility in Calgary), enabling handling, sorting, ripening, and timely delivery of certified organic produce.

Product overview

Discovery Organics operates as an independently owned Canadian distributor offering two core product lines: Certified Organic produce and Fair Trade produce distribution. The company serves natural food retailers and wholesalers across Western Canada and the Northern Territories, building relationships with small-scale farmers in BC and beyond since 1999. Supporting offerings include Retailer Tools and an Enclosure Program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certified Organic Produce Distribution Wholesale distribution of Certified Organic fruits and vegetables sourced from small-scale farmers across BC and internationally (including Mexico and Chile), supplied to natural food retailers and wholesalers across Western Canada and the Northern Territories. Designed for retail and wholesale buyers that require consistent, fully certified organic produce.
• Fair Trade Produce Distribution Wholesale distribution of Fair Trade certified produce ensuring ethical sourcing, fair prices to producers, timely payments, and community social premiums. Discovery Organics positions itself as a pioneer in importing Fair Trade certified produce into Western Canada, serving retailers and wholesalers seeking ethically audited supply.
• Enclosure Program A program providing produce enclosures for retail presentation and distribution, available to retail customers of Discovery Organics to support their in-store organic produce merchandising.
• Retailer Tools Resources and tools provided to retailer customers to support their organic produce offerings, available as a standalone support offering for Discovery Organics' wholesale retail customers.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Fairtrade CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiscovery Organics is certified through Fairtrade Canada as an importer of Fair Trade certified produce. Yearly audits ensure contracts with producers, fair pricing, and ethical business practices. Discovery is a pioneer in importing Fair Trade certified produce into Western Canada.
• Pacific Agriculture Certification Society (PACS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiscovery's warehouse is a PACS Certified Organic facility. Brody Irvine from Discovery sits on the board of directors for PACS and serves as a PACS representative for the Certified Organic Associations of BC (COABC).
• Certified Organic Associations of BC (COABC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiscovery actively supports and works closely with COABC network of growers. Brody Irvine is a PACS representative for COABC. Discovery is passionate about protecting and emboldening the Canadian Organic Standards.
• Small-Scale Organic Farmers (BC and International)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiscovery builds long-term commitments with small-scale organic farmers in BC and beyond (Mexico, Chile). Randy Hooper travels to meet farmers internationally. The company works with farmers on crop planning, packaging solutions, and logistics challenges.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• FreshPoint (Sysco): Sysco's specialty produce distribution arm operating across North America. Comparable as a B2B fresh produce distributor serving retailers and foodservice, though FreshPoint covers conventional and organic at national scale.
• KeHE Distributors: Major North American distributor of natural and organic, specialty, and fresh products to grocery and natural food retailers. Comparable as a channel intermediary for natural and organic SKUs reaching independent retailers, with a much broader product portfolio.
• Oppy (Oppenheimer Group): One of North America's largest fresh produce marketers and distributors, headquartered in BC. Comparable because it distributes fresh produce including organics across North America to retail and foodservice, though it operates at far greater scale and across conventional and organic categories.
• Cal-Organic Farms (Grimmway): Largest US grower of organic produce, owned by Grimmway Farms, shipping year-round organic vegetables to retail and wholesale. Comparable as an organic produce supplier at scale; differs from Discovery by integrating large-scale growing rather than acting purely as distributor.
• UNFI (United Natural Foods): Largest US distributor of natural, organic, and specialty foods to retailers. Comparable because UNFI supplies many of the same independent natural food retailers and co-ops that Discovery serves in Western Canada, offering a much broader assortment including grocery, frozen, and wellness categories.

Direct peers

• Earthbound Farm: One of the largest organic produce growers and shippers in North America, selling organic salads, fruits and vegetables through retail and foodservice. Directly comparable to Discovery as an organic produce supplier, though Earthbound operates at significantly larger scale and is US-focused.
• Vegpro International: Canadian fresh produce grower-packer-shipper supplying retailers across North America with conventional and organic salads, vegetables, and baby leaf items. Comparable as a Canadian fresh produce supplier serving retail with organic lines, though Vegpro integrates growing with distribution.

Regional players

• BC Tree Fruits Cooperative: BC-based grower-owned cooperative marketing and distributing tree fruits and other produce. Comparable as a BC-rooted produce distribution organization serving Western Canadian retailers, though focused on tree fruits and grower-owned versus Discovery's independent distribution model.
• Purity Life Health Products: Canadian distributor of natural health products to health food stores and pharmacies across Canada. Comparable as a Canadian distributor to natural food retailers in overlapping geography, though focused on health products rather than fresh produce.

Emerging players

• Mother Earth Produce: Organic produce distributor focused on regenerative and certified organic fresh produce for retailers and foodservice. Comparable as a B2B organic produce distributor emphasizing ethical and sustainable sourcing, overlapping with Discovery's value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/discoveryorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Discovery Organics