What California Avocado Commission does

The California Avocado Commission (CAC) is a quasi-governmental state agricultural marketing organization established in 1978 under California law to represent approximately 3,000 California avocado growers operating in coastal regions from Morro Bay to San Diego. The organization is funded by mandatory assessments on growers and operates advertising, promotion, and public relations programs to differentiate California-grown avocados from imports, primarily during the March-through-September harvest window. Its declared purpose is to enhance premium positioning of California Avocados through marketing, public relations, and related industry activities.

CAC does not produce or sell avocados; its products are marketing services and consumer-facing programs. Core deliverables include retail support (POS materials, recipe tear pads, merchandising resources, PLU labeling guidance, and a store locator covering 36 U.S. states), foodservice programs (culinary education accredited by the American Culinary Federation, handler network access), consumer content (a 1,200+ recipe database, nutrition and sustainability educational content), and the Avocado Marketing and Research Information Center (AMRIC), an industry data reporting system where handlers shipping a minimum 1% of prior-year California crop volume participate. Digital infrastructure consists of a website, email newsletters, social channels (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Pinterest), and a Flickr media library — no proprietary technology product is developed.

Revenue mechanics are assessment-based rather than transactional: CAC collects mandatory industry fees from growers to fund marketing activities. Pricing of avocados themselves is set by market conditions, which have deteriorated materially — average prices fell from over $2.00/lb to as low as $0.75/lb amid a 35% year-over-year surge in Mexican avocado exports to the U.S. in the first four months of 2026. In response, CAC is pursuing seasonal tariff-rate quota advocacy under USMCA and intensifying trade and consumer marketing to defend market share during California's seasonal window. Customer-facing distribution is achieved via retail grocery chains (Albertsons/Vons, Whole Foods, Costco, Walmart, Target, Sprouts, Safeway/Ralphs and 40+ others) and foodservice partners (Denny's, Del Taco, Jimboy's Tacos, MIXT, Norms, Dog Haus, Mendocino Farms, Robeks, Super Duper).

Name

California Avocado Commission

Legal name

California Avocado Commission

Website

https://californiaavocado.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California Avocado Commission is a 1978-founded state marketing organization representing approximately 3,000 California avocado growers. Funded by grower assessments, it promotes California-grown avocados through retail, foodservice, and consumer marketing during the spring-through-summer seasonal window.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Marketing Services

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture, Fisheries & Food Administration (BPAIAAAO)

Keywords

• Agricultural commodity marketing
• Fresh produce promotion
• Avocado industry marketing
• Grower assessment programs
• Retail foodservice merchandising

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industry Assessment Fees: The California Avocado Commission is a state marketing commission created in 1978 funded by assessments on California avocado growers. As a quasi-governmental agricultural marketing organization, it collects mandatory industry fees from growers to fund advertising, promotion, and public relations activities.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The California Avocado Commission is a state agricultural marketing commission that promotes California-grown Hass avocados through advertising, public relations, retail merchandising support, foodservice partnerships, and consumer education. It is funded by mandatory assessments on approximately 3,000 California growers and operates seasonal marketing programs (roughly spring through summer) designed to differentiate locally-grown avocados from imports, support retail and foodservice sell-through, and provide nutrition, recipe, and sustainability content to consumers.

Product overview

The California Avocado Commission is a state marketing organization representing approximately 3,000 California avocado growers. Rather than a technology product company, it provides marketing services and programs including retail and foodservice support tools, a recipe content platform, nutrition education resources, sustainability information, and seasonal marketing initiatives. The Commission operates the Avocado Marketing and Research Information Center (AMRIC) for industry data and maintains consumer-facing tools such as a store locator and extensive recipe database.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California Avocados Retail Support Program
• California Avocados Foodservice Program
• California Avocados Recipe Collection
• California Avocados Nutrition Information Resource
• California Avocados Sustainability Resources
• California Avocados Grower Information Resources Industry resources for California avocado growers including growing guides, PLU information, harvest timing guidance, and connections to industry resources and master gardeners.
• Avocado Marketing and Research Information Center (AMRIC)
• California Avocados Store Locator

Named customers15 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MIXTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMIXT is a restaurant brand celebrating California Avocado season. The partnership involves featuring California avocados on their menu during the spring-through-summer window, promoting locally grown avocados to consumers.
• Norms RestaurantsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNorms is a restaurant brand celebrating California Avocado season. Partnership involves featuring California avocados during peak season months.
• Denny'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDenny's is a major national restaurant chain celebrating California Avocado season. This is a flagship partnership involving prominent menu integration of California avocados.
• Del TacocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDel Taco is a national fast-casual restaurant chain celebrating California Avocado season with menu integration of California avocados.
• Dog HausminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDog Haus is a craft hotdog and burger chain celebrating California Avocado season with premium ingredient sourcing.
• Mendocino FarmsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMendocino Farms is a restaurant brand celebrating California Avocado season, featuring California avocados as part of their seasonal menu offerings.
• Jimboy's TacoscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJimboy's Tacos is a regional restaurant chain celebrating California Avocado season. Partnership involves featuring California avocados during the limited seasonal window.
• American Culinary FederationminorOthersThe commission partners with the American Culinary Federation to offer Continuing Education Hours (CEH) for foodservice professionals learning about California Avocados. This educational partnership helps train chefs on avocado preparation and menu integration.
• Avocado Marketing and Research Information Center (AMRIC)coreOthersAMRIC provides the Avocado Marketing and Research Information Center system and reporting procedures that enable the industry to analyze current market situations and forecast trends. AMRIC handlers are defined as handlers who shipped minimum 1% of previous year's total California crop volume.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Mango Board: Federal research and promotion program for mangos in the US, funded by importer assessments. Similar in purpose to CAC but representing an imported commodity rather than a domestic one, with the same nutrition-marketing playbook.
• Hass Avocado Board: National federal marketing order for Hass avocados in the US. Closest direct comparable: also an industry-funded marketing/promotion organization representing US Hass avocado producers and importers, with similar assessment-based funding and nutrition research mandate.
• California Strawberry Commission: California state marketing commission for another major CA specialty crop. Operates with the same quasi-governmental grower-assessment structure, retailer/foodservice support, and nutrition-marketing playbook applied to a different fruit category.
• Avocados From Mexico: Marketing organization promoting Mexican avocados in the US. Direct competitor at retail and foodservice during California's seasonal window, with overlapping retail support tools, consumer recipe content, and national chain partnerships.
• Idaho Potato Commission: State marketing commission for Idaho potatoes funded by grower assessments. Same structure — advertising, PR, foodservice/retail support, and iconic 'Idaho' provenance branding — providing a strong template comparison for state commodity commissions.
• Florida Department of Citrus: State marketing and regulatory body for Florida citrus, funded by grower assessments. Highly comparable structure and mandate (advertising, promotion, PR, research) targeting US consumers and trade for a single fresh produce category.
• Washington Apple Commission: State marketing commission representing Washington apple growers, funded by assessments. Comparable grower-funded promotion model with international marketing focus, retailer support programs, and nutrition/recipe content platforms.

Broad incumbents

• Sunkist Growers: Long-standing California/Arizona citrus marketing cooperative. Comparable as a grower-controlled organization promoting a specific California-origin fresh fruit category with national retail and foodservice reach, though operating as a cooperative rather than a state commission.
• Wonderful Orchards / Wonderful Pistachios: Vertically integrated California grower-marketer of pistachios, almonds and pomegranates. Comparable as a vertically integrated California-origin produce brand with strong consumer marketing, retail support, and foodservice penetration, though privately held and for-profit.

Others

• Produce Marketing Association / IFPA: Industry association for the fresh produce and floral supply chain. CAC participates in IFPA Foodservice Conference; IFPA is an ecosystem-level peer that convenes the same retailers, foodservice operators and growers that CAC targets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CA_Avocados
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CaliforniaAvocados
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaliforniaAvocados
• Instagraminstagram.com/ca_avocados
• TikToktiktok.com/@ca_avocados?lang=en
• Pinterestpinterest.com/ca_avocados
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-avocado-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 California Avocado Commission