Farm Associate Privacy Policy

Welcome to Farm Associate a brand of Nexa Technology (“Farm Associate,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, transfer, store, and protect personal information in Canada, including Québec, across:

our website at www.farmassociate.com (the “Website”),
our mobile applications, and
any other tools, features, or lead services we provide (together, the “Services”).

It also explains your rights and choices.

Important:

Farm Associate is a lead / introduction service. We connect Buyers and Vendors/Wholesalers. We do not sell agricultural products, we do not guarantee product quality, and we do not take or process payment for any order between a Buyer and a Vendor. The business relationship and transactions are strictly between those parties.

Our head office is located in Toranto, Canda.

Our Person in Charge of Personal Information (Privacy Officer) (as required by Québec’s Law 25) is Mr. Prakash Vaghasiya , reachable at [support@farmassociate.com] . Québec law requires us to identify and publish our privacy officer, who is accountable for compliance and breach response.

If you have questions about this Policy or want to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us at the details above.

1. Who we are

Farm Associate Canada Inc. operates a platform that helps agricultural product Vendors (including wholesalers, distributors, cooperatives, and farmers) connect with Buyers (anyone looking to source agricultural or farming-related products).

We act as a marketing and lead generation service:

Vendors publish product details and indicate interest in supplying Buyers.
Buyers can request quotes, ask questions, and get connected.

We do not:

broker or close sales,
take ownership of products,
guarantee delivery,
or handle payment.

All actual purchase, pricing, payment, shipment, acceptance, inspection, returns, and refunds happen directly between the Buyer and the Vendor, off-platform.

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected, used, or disclosed through our Services in Canada, including Québec. We comply with federal Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA) and Québec’s private-sector privacy law as modernized by Law 25. These laws require meaningful consent, purpose limitation, safeguards, access rights, and breach notification to regulators and affected individuals in certain cases.

2. Our privacy promise and legal bases

“Personal information” means any information about an identifiable individual. We collect, use, and disclose personal information only for purposes a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances, and only in line with Canadian and Québec law.

We rely on these legal bases:

Consent. We get your consent for specific uses of personal information (for example: marketing emails, non-essential cookies, or profiling technology). Québec’s Law 25 requires explicit, opt-in consent for certain tracking or profiling technologies.
Contract / service delivery. We use your information to provide our Services to you — for example, to create your Vendor profile, connect you with leads, forward Buyer inquiries to you, or allow you (as a Buyer) to contact a Vendor.
Legitimate interests. We improve and protect our Services, prevent fraud, and secure our systems. We balance these interests against your privacy rights.
Legal obligations. We may retain certain records to meet our legal, tax, accounting, audit, security, and regulatory obligations under Canadian and Québec law — including obligations to document confidentiality incidents and notify Québec’s Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI) and affected individuals if there is a “risk of serious injury.”

We follow the core PIPEDA principles, including accountability, identifying purposes, consent, limiting collection, limiting use/disclosure/retention, safeguards, accuracy, openness, individual access, and complaint/recourse.

3. Personal information we collect

We collect personal information in three main ways:

3.1 Information you provide directly

Account details. Name, email, phone, password, business info (for Vendors: legal business name, GST/HST/QST or tax number, address, product categories).
Listing / lead profile. Product descriptions, certifications, volumes, regions served, pricing indications, delivery capabilities.
Buyer inquiries / Vendor responses. Messages, quote requests, deal terms you discuss, and any files/images you upload.
Support communications. When you contact us by email, phone, or chat, we collect the content of your message and your contact details.
Consent choices. We track if you opt in/out of marketing, cookies, or certain data uses.

We do not require or process full payment card numbers for sales between Buyers and Vendors because we do not run checkout or payment for those transactions.

3.2 Information collected automatically

Device / browser info. Device type, operating system, browser type/version/language, screen resolution.
Log data. IP address, timestamps, pages viewed, buttons clicked, search terms, feature usage, referrer URLs, and error reports.
Cookies & similar tech. We (and service providers working for us) use cookies, pixels, and local storage to keep the site working, understand usage, improve performance, and — if you consent — personalize marketing and outreach. See Section 9.
Location info. We may infer approximate location from IP address to show relevant Vendors or Buyer demand in your region. If you allow location services in your device, we may receive more precise location for features like local sourcing or logistics interest.

3.3 Information from other sources

Verification / anti-fraud. We may verify Vendor identity or legitimacy (for example, confirming a business registration number or farm certification) to protect Buyers.
Analytics / marketing partners. We may receive aggregate insights (like interest in certain crops by province) to improve which leads we send to whom.
Public / social sources. If you link social profiles, we may view business contact info or certifications you make public.

If we combine information from different sources and it can still identify you, we treat that combined data as personal information.

4. How we use personal information

4.1 To provide and improve the Services

We use personal information to:

create and manage your account,
publish and promote Vendor listings,
match and deliver relevant leads,
let Buyers message Vendors and Vendors reply,
route inquiries to the right Vendor,
operate dashboards and reporting for Vendors.

Because we are a lead service, not a transaction processor:

We do not process purchase payments between Buyers and Vendors.
We do not issue product refunds or credits for product complaints.
We do not guarantee delivery, quality, or compliance.
Any sale, invoice, payment, or delivery arrangement is strictly between Buyer and Vendor, off-platform.

4.2 Communications and support

send service notices (for example, “You have a new lead,” or “Your listing is live”),
reply to questions or complaints,
send administrative messages (policy updates, security alerts, feature changes).

If a Buyer has a problem with a Vendor and does not tell us, we can’t help and we aren’t responsible. (See Section 12 “No Contact, No Liability.”)

4.3 Personalization and marketing

With your consent where required — for example, Québec requires explicit opt-in for profiling/tracking cookies — we may:

recommend Vendors to Buyers and Buyers to Vendors,
send promotions about visibility upgrades, premium lead tiers, or new features,
run retargeting / remarketing.

You can opt out of marketing at any time (see Section 10).

4.4 Security and fraud prevention

We use logs, IP info, and usage patterns to:

detect fake accounts and spam,
block scraping of Buyer contact info,
prevent abuse and harassment,
enforce our “no misuse of customer data” rule.

4.5 Analytics and product development

We analyze how people use the Services so we can fix performance issues, understand demand by product/region, and improve features. Where possible, we use aggregated or de-identified data.

4.6 Legal and regulatory compliance

We may keep certain records to comply with our tax, accounting, and legal obligations under Canadian and Québec law. We may also disclose or preserve information if we believe it’s required to comply with a subpoena, court order, lawful request from a regulator, or to protect our rights or safety.

5. How we share personal information

5.1 Between Buyers and Vendors

When a Buyer requests information about a Vendor or submits a lead form, we may share Buyer contact details and request details with that Vendor so they can follow up.

When a Vendor lists with us, we may show Vendor business details to Buyers so Buyers can reach out.

Very important: Vendors may only use Buyer information to respond to that Buyer’s request. Vendors must not resell, spam, leak, or otherwise misuse Buyer data. Misuse of Buyer data is a violation of these Terms and may lead to suspension and legal consequences. See Section 12.2.

We do not share full payment card data because we do not process Buyer/Vendor payments.

5.2 With service providers

We use trusted service providers for hosting, analytics, anti-fraud, communications, and customer support tooling. We only give them what they need to perform services for us, and we require appropriate confidentiality and security.

5.3 With our Affiliates

We may share information with our Canadian Affiliates for operational and analytics purposes. If we ever want to share data for unrelated marketing, we will ask for consent if required by law.

5.4 For legal and safety reasons

We may disclose personal information if we believe it’s legally required or necessary to:

comply with Canadian/Québec law,
respond to lawful requests from regulators or courts,
prevent fraud, security incidents, or harm,
enforce our agreements.

5.5 Business transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, restructuring, or sale of the business, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. The new entity would still be required to honor the protections described in this Policy.

5.6 Cross-border data transfers

Personal information collected in Canada/Québec may be processed or stored in other provinces or countries by us or our service providers. Before transferring personal information outside Québec, we assess whether the other location offers protection equivalent to Québec law and implement contractual or technical safeguards when needed (this is required by Law 25).

6. How we store and protect personal information

6.1 Safeguards

We use technical, physical, and administrative safeguards that are appropriate to the sensitivity of the data — including access controls, encryption in transit and at rest where appropriate, audit logs, and staff training. Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA) and Québec’s Law 25 require organizations to use safeguards that match the sensitivity of the information.

No system is 100% secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately.

6.2 Breach and incident response (Québec / Law 25)

If we experience a confidentiality incident that presents a “risk of serious injury,” we will:

notify Québec’s Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI),
notify affected individuals,
keep a record of the incident, and
take steps to reduce risk and prevent recurrence.

7. Your rights

Under Canadian law and Québec’s Law 25, you have the following rights:

7.1 Access and correction

You can request access to the personal information we hold about you, and you can ask us to correct anything that is inaccurate or incomplete. PIPEDA explicitly grants access and correction rights.

7.2 Data portability (Québec)

In Québec, you may request that we provide certain personal information to you (or directly to another organization you identify) in a structured, commonly used, readable format — subject to technical limits and legal exceptions. This is the new “portability” right under Law 25.

7.3 Deletion / de-indexation

You may ask us to delete your personal information or to de-index it (stop making it publicly visible in listings or profiles). We will comply unless we need to keep some information for legal, accounting, fraud-prevention, security, or enforcement reasons.

7.4 Withdraw consent / object

If we rely on your consent (for example, marketing emails or certain cookies), you can withdraw that consent at any time.

In Québec, you must be able to refuse non-essential cookies and profiling technologies via a clear choice mechanism (like a cookie banner).

You may also object to certain processing based on our legitimate interests if you believe your privacy rights outweigh those interests.

7.5 Automated decision-making & profiling

We may use automated tools to detect spam, suspicious activity, or fraud. Under Québec’s Law 25, you can request:

an explanation of how an automated decision was made if it has a serious impact on you, and
correction of any personal information that led to an unfair or incorrect result.

7.6 How to exercise your rights

Contact [support@farmassociate.com].

We may ask you to verify your identity. We’ll respond within timelines required by Canadian and Québec law. If you’re not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or Québec’s Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI).

8. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes described in this Policy or as required by law.

For example:

We keep billing/fee records for tax and accounting for at least the minimum period required by Canadian law (often ~6 years).
We may keep lead history and communications logs to enforce our “don’t misuse customer data” rule and to defend against legal claims.
Québec’s consumer protection rules allow certain contract cancellations if legally required disclosures are missing or delivery fails, so Vendors may need records to show compliance.

When information is no longer needed, we will securely delete it or irreversibly anonymize it.

9. Cookies, pixels, and similar technologies

9.1 What are cookies?

Cookies are small files stored on your device. Pixels, tags, SDKs, and local storage are related technologies that help recognize your browser or device.

9.2 How we use them

We use:

Essential cookies – to keep the Website running securely (login, session management, fraud prevention).
Performance / analytics cookies – to understand traffic and improve features.
Functionality cookies – to remember your preferences (e.g., language, region).
Advertising / profiling cookies – only with your consent, to promote our paid lead services or Vendor visibility features, and to measure marketing performance. Québec requires explicit consent for profiling and tracking technologies.

9.3 Your cookie choices

When you first visit our Website, we show a cookie banner that lets you accept, reject, or customize non-essential cookies. You can update those settings at any time. Refusing non-essential cookies will not block core functions.

10. Your choices

Marketing emails. You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the “unsubscribe” link or by contacting us. You will still receive essential service messages (for example, account notices or policy updates).

SMS / push. If you opted in to SMS or push notifications, you can opt out through the message instructions or device/app settings.

Do Not Track. Some browsers send “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals. There’s currently no industry standard for interpreting DNT, so we do not respond to DNT signals.

11. Aggregated / de-identified information

We may use aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified information (information that can no longer reasonably identify you) for analytics, market insights, service improvements, or reporting. This information is no longer considered personal information.

12. Responsibilities and limits

12.1 We are just the lead service

Farm Associate only introduces Buyers and Vendors. We do not:

sell products on the Website,
buy products,
inspect, grade, or certify products,
arrange shipping or customs clearance,
or process or hold payment for Vendor deliveries.

We are not responsible or liable for product quality, safety, description, origin, certification, delivery timing, damage, spoilage, shortages, customs problems, refunds, chargebacks, or non-payment between a Buyer and a Vendor. Those issues must be resolved directly between Buyer and Vendor.

If a Buyer has an issue with a Vendor and the Buyer never contacts us about it, the Buyer agrees Farm Associate has no responsibility for that issue. (“If customer doesn’t contact us, it doesn’t come on us.”)

12.2 Vendors must protect customer data

When a Buyer contacts you through Farm Associate, you (the Vendor) get that Buyer’s personal information only so you can respond to that Buyer’s request. You must not:

resell that data,
share it with unrelated third parties,
spam it,
mine it to build unrelated marketing lists,
or expose it publicly.

You may share Buyer data only:

with Farm Associate for support,
with the Buyer’s explicit, provable consent,
or if required by Canadian/Québec law or a lawful regulator.

Under Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA), businesses must obtain meaningful consent for collection/use/disclosure, limit use to stated purposes, and safeguard personal information.

Under Québec’s Law 25, organizations must notify the CAI and affected individuals of confidentiality incidents that pose a “risk of serious injury,” keep an incident register, and designate a personal information officer.

If you (the Vendor) misuse customer data, we may immediately suspend or terminate your access and you may face legal and regulatory consequences.

12.3 Refunds for our paid Services

Sometimes Vendors pay us for premium exposure, promoted listings, or lead access. If you paid Farm Associate for a recurring or time-limited promotional/lead service and you cancel early because you no longer want that service:

we may, at our discretion, issue a prorated refund of the unused portion of that specific service fee, based on the number of full months left in the paid term when you notify us in writing;
we will not refund any portion of months already elapsed, leads already delivered, or impressions already served.

This refund policy applies only to fees you paid Farm Associate for our Services.

It does not apply to product refunds, delivery complaints, product quality issues, shortages, etc. Those are strictly between Buyer and Vendor.

13. Children’s privacy

The Services are intended for users who are at least the age of majority in their province or territory. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we collected personal information from a child without verifiable parental consent, we will delete it as soon as possible.

14. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time (for example, if we change how leads work, introduce new data uses, or if laws change). If the changes are material, we’ll post the updated Policy on our Website and, where appropriate, notify you directly. The updated Policy is effective as of the posted “Effective date,” unless we say otherwise.

15. Complaints and dispute resolution

If you have a privacy complaint, please contact us first at [support@farmassociate.com]. We will investigate and respond within a reasonable time.

If you are not satisfied with our response:

In Canada, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
In Québec, you can contact the Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI), which oversees private-sector privacy compliance and breach notification duties.