Soil Science Society of America

What Soil Science Society of America does

The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional scientific society founded in 1936 and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, serving soil scientists, agronomic researchers, certified professionals, and agricultural testing laboratories across North America. The society operates as one of three partners under the Alliance of Crops, Soils, and Environmental Science Societies (ACSESS) umbrella alongside the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), sharing headquarters, administrative infrastructure, and a joint publishing platform hosted with Wiley. Core offerings include 13 peer-reviewed scientific journals (six of which are gold open access), monthly CSA News and Crops & Soils magazines, the CPSS and APSS professional certifications (with PAP accreditation recognized by USDA-NRCS), the North American Proficiency Testing (NAPT) program serving 100+ laboratories, and the CANVAS global annual conference. Outreach channels include soils4teachers.org and soils4kids.org K-12 programs, the Field, Lab, Earth podcast, the Online Classroom for CEUs, and the Science Societies Career Center. The organization reports 5,000+ active members and 600+ certified professionals, supported by an 11-50 employee headquarters staff and a 16-member board of directors.

Revenue derives from six principal streams: membership dues (Professional $150-$260; Graduate Student $60; Undergraduate Student $40; Emeritus $80-$135) billed annually with bundling across the three ACSESS societies; certification and renewal fees for CPSS/APSS; CANVAS conference registration with $300 member discounts; scientific publication revenues including journal page charges (eliminated for members in flagship journals starting 2026); NAPT quarterly program enrollment fees; and reference sample sales ($55-$865 unit pricing with NAPT-participant discounts). The society operates community-led and event-driven go-to-market motions, primarily distributing through the soils.org website with in-person sales at CANVAS and dedicated corporate membership channels for sponsoring organizations. Strategic leadership rests with CEO James "Jim" M. Cudahy and a rotating presidential line (Aaron L.M. Daigh as President, John L. Kovar as President-Elect, Samira Daroub as Past President).

Name

Soil Science Society of America

Legal name

Soil Science Society of America

Website

https://soils.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SSSA is a 90-year-old nonprofit scientific society that publishes peer-reviewed soil science journals, certifies soil science professionals (CPSS/APSS), runs the North American Proficiency Testing program for 100+ laboratories, and operates under the ACSESS alliance with ASA and CSSA from Madison, Wisconsin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Scientific Society & Soil Science Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Standards Development & Publishing (SDOs, Technical Standards) (MPAJACAB)

Keywords

• Soil science certification
• Professional scientific society
• Proficiency testing labs
• Peer-reviewed journals
• Scientific conference services

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues at various tiers (Professional $150-$260, Graduate Student $60, Undergraduate Student $40, Emeritus $80-$135) depending on whether member joins one, two, or all three societies.
2. Professional Certification: Revenue from CPSS and APSS certification programs, including exam fees and renewal fees.
3. Conference Registration: CANVAS annual meeting registration fees with member discounts ($300 discount for professional members).
4. Scientific Publications: Revenue from journal page charges (50% discount plus seven free pages for members publishing in Agronomy Journal, Crop Science, or Soil Science Society of America Journal). Starting 2026, members pay no page charges.
5. Reference Sample Sales: Sale of soil and plant reference samples to laboratories (NAPT participants receive discounted pricing).
6. NAPT Program Enrollment: Quarterly proficiency testing program enrollment fees for agricultural and environmental laboratories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SSSA is a professional scientific society that sells memberships, certifications (CPSS and APSS credentials), peer-reviewed journal subscriptions, registration for its joint CANVAS annual meeting, and the NAPT proficiency testing program for soil, plant, and water analytical laboratories. It also publishes K-12 soil science outreach resources (Soils4Teachers, Soils4Kids) and supports division-based community programming for soil science specialties.

Product overview

SSSA operates as a professional scientific society offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services. Core offerings include 13 peer-reviewed scientific journals (with 6 gold open access), the CSA News and Crops & Soils magazines, accessed through an Online Library platform. The society hosts CANVAS, the premier global conference for the field, and offers certification programs (CPSS and APSS) for soil science professionals. The NAPT Program provides quarterly proficiency testing for agricultural laboratories, with an optional PAP accreditation. Educational outreach includes Soils4Teachers and Soils4Kids websites, an Online Classroom with CEU opportunities, and the Field, Lab, Earth Podcast. Career services are provided through the Science Societies Career Center. All offerings are coordinated under the Alliance of Crops, Soils, and Environmental Science Societies (ACSESS) umbrella alongside ASA and CSSA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SSSA Membership Annual membership tiers (student, early career, regular, sustaining, corporate) for soil science professionals, providing access to journals, member communities, divisions, and reduced conference fees.
• CPSS Certification (Certified Professional Soil Scientist) Professional credential for soil scientists, awarded after meeting education, experience, and examination requirements; maintained through continuing education and renewal fees.
• APSS Certification (Associate Professional Soil Scientist) Associate-level professional credential for soil scientists who have not yet qualified for full CPSS certification but meet foundational education and experience requirements.
• NAPT Proficiency Testing Program Subscription-based external proficiency testing service for accredited and non-accredited soil, plant, and water analytical laboratories, providing reference samples, statistical analysis, and benchmarking reports to support QA/QC and accreditation.
• CANVAS Annual Conference Annual multi-society scientific conference for soil science, agronomy, and crop science professionals, featuring technical sessions, poster presentations, exhibits, and sponsorship opportunities.
• SSSA Peer-Reviewed Journals Subscription-based access to peer-reviewed scientific journals in soil science, agronomy, and crop science, published jointly with ASA, CSSA, and Wiley, available to members and institutional subscribers.
• Soils4Teachers / Soils4Kids K-12 Outreach Free educational resources and program materials for K-12 teachers and students covering soil science fundamentals, distributed as part of SSSA's public outreach mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6% projected growth in demand for agricultural scientists from 2024 to 2034
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Alliance of Crops, Soils, and Environmental Science Societies (ACSESS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACSESS is the umbrella organization for SSSA, American Society of Agronomy (ASA), and Crop Science Society of America (CSSA). The alliance provides shared infrastructure including meetings, publications, and administrative services. Each society maintains independent bylaws and governing boards while collaborating on joint initiatives.
• USDA-NRCScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDA Natural Resources Conservation Service values and recognizes SSSA certification programs and methods. The Performance Assessment Program (PAP) is valued by USDA-NRCS as assurance that soil test analyses are performed using validated testing methods. PAP certification may be required for laboratories working with federal government programs for nutrient management plans.
• Agronomic Science Foundation (ASF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASF raises, invests, and distributes funds for the benefit of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA members, students, and future contributors to the scientific community. Supports programs, scholarships, and initiatives across all three societies.
• Soil and Plant Analysis Council (SPAC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPAC is represented on the NAPT Oversight Committee which governs the North American Proficiency Testing program. Contributes to standards development and quality assurance in soil and plant analysis.
• Canadian Soil Science Society (CSSS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSSS is represented on the NAPT Oversight Committee with Christoph Kessel serving as the Canada representative. Contributes to cross-border harmonization of soil science standards.
• NCERA-13 (North Central Extension Research Activity)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Central regional research soil and plant analysis workgroup represented on NAPT Oversight Committee. John Lee serves as North Central regional workgroup representative.
• SERA-6 (Southern Extension Research Activity)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern regional research soil and plant analysis workgroup represented on NAPT Oversight Committee. TonyProvin serves as SERA-6 representative.
• WERA-103 (Western Extension Research Activity)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern regional research soil and plant analysis workgroup represented on NAPT Oversight Committee. Scott Fridlund serves as WERA-103 representative.
• NECC-107 (Northeast Extension Committee)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNortheastern regional research soil and plant analysis workgroup represented on NAPT Oversight Committee. Lucas Baker serves as NEC-107 representative.
• AOAC InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as a resource link on NAPT resources page. AOAC International develops standard methods and official guidelines for analytical communities.
• American Society of Agronomy (ASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSSA collaborates with ASA and CSSA under ACSESS umbrella. Joint 'Dig In, Do Good' workforce development campaign launched in 2026 to increase enrollment in agronomy, crop, and soil science programs.
• Crop Science Society of America (CSSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSSA collaborates with CSSA and ASA under ACSESS umbrella. Joint 'Dig In, Do Good' workforce development campaign launched in 2026 to increase enrollment in agronomy, crop, and soil science programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Chemical Society (ACS): Large scientific society with peer-reviewed journal portfolio, membership model, and conferences. Comparable in the publishing and professional society dimensions, though at much greater scale and broader chemistry scope.
• Ecological Society of America (ESA): Scientific society publishing journals, hosting conferences, and certifying ecologists. Comparable in operating model (membership, journals, conferences, certification) though serving the ecology rather than soil science niche.
• American Geophysical Union (AGU): Large scientific society with extensive peer-reviewed journal portfolio and global membership. Comparable in scientific publishing scale and professional society governance, though focused on geophysics and earth sciences.
• AOAC International: Global standards development organization for analytical sciences; referenced as a resource on SSSA's NAPT page. Comparable in developing and publishing analytical methods and QA standards used by testing laboratories.
• International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS): Global umbrella for soil science societies. Comparable in mission (advancing soil science) but operates at a broader international level with national society members, including SSSA, rather than competing directly for individual members.

Direct peers

• American Society of Agronomy (ASA): Sister society under the ACSESS umbrella; shares infrastructure (meetings, publications, administration) and co-publishes 13 journals with SSSA, making it the most directly comparable peer across business model, governance, and product portfolio.
• Crop Science Society of America (CSSA): Third ACSESS sister society; shares the same membership, publishing, conference, and certification model. Directly comparable in scale, governance, and revenue mix, including co-launching the 'Dig In, Do Good' workforce campaign with SSSA.
• Soil and Plant Analysis Council (SPAC): Council governing soil and plant analysis standards; represented on NAPT Oversight Committee. Directly comparable in the proficiency testing and standards development niche, overlapping in QA program scope.

Regional players

• European Society for Agronomy (ESA): Regional agronomy society serving European members. Comparable in mission, membership model, and scientific publishing, but does not directly compete in North America.
• Canadian Soil Science Society (CSSS): The Canadian counterpart in soil science, represented on the NAPT Oversight Committee. Comparable membership society serving a different national market with overlapping publications and certification interests.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sssa_soils
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ScienceSocieties
• Facebookfacebook.com/sssa.soils
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soil-science-society-of-america

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Soil Science Society of America