PACS is an incorporated not-for-profit society that provides certification, including Canada Organic Regime (COR) organic certification accredited by CFIA to small growers as well as multi-million dollar food processors and distributors Canada wide for international markets. PACS is guided by the clients it serves and offers floating scale fees to keep costs accessible to all.
We at PACS are motivated to see a healthy world through organic certification where ‘organic’ is a proud household word. Our staff are very friendly, knowledgeable and keen to assist our clients. PACS is guided by the clients it serves and offers floating scale fees to keep costs accessible to all. As there are no profits, fees are tied specifically to costs.
Beginning fall of 2018, producers, processors and handlers of organic food and beverage will require verification of organic certification and product claims.
PACS certifies to the Canada Organic Regime (COR), overseen by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and by which the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) provides a federal program for regulation of organic agricultural products. COR certification permits organic claims on interprovincial sales and international export of organic products.
For operators who sell organic agricultural products only within their own province or territory, PACS offers the option of regional certification. Operators located in B.C., who sell products within B.C. only, may certify to the Certified Organic Associations of B.C. (COABC) British Columbia Certified Organic Program (BCCOP). Operators located outside of B.C. who sell within their own province or territory, may certify to PACS’ own certification program.
PACS also offers internal programs for the organic certification of natural health products, and cannabis.
Q. Why is being certified organic important to you and your business?
For us growing organically was the only way conceivable. From the moment we began talking about starting a farm it was a given it would be organic. We had been trying to eat mostly organic food for a while and we believed it was healthier for us, but more importantly, healthier for our ecosystem as a whole. As we delved deeper and started to learn about growing and selling vegetables we embraced organic methods and realized how important being certified was for the farms that we were learning from, and how the clientele demanded it. At this point the strong majority of our customers demand and expect certified organic at our stall, and many of them would quit shopping with us if we stopped being certified. But not only does certification substantiate and define organic practices, it joins organic farmers together in solidarity and gives us power.
GROW. Demand for organic products is growing. PACS supports the organic industry in order to build its capacity and support more Canadians with organic.
SUPPORT. You are a busy grower, producer or distributor. We understand. PACS is here to guide you through the certification process with ease.