USA Rice Federation

What USA Rice Federation does

USA Rice Federation is the national trade association for the U.S. rice industry, founded in 1994 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The organization represents the full rice value chain — farmers, millers, merchants, and allied businesses — and operates as a non-profit funded primarily through per-bushel assessments (1.35 cents) paid by rice buyers and producers, channeled via state rice research and promotion boards. Its stated mission is to ensure the health and vitality of a unified U.S. rice industry through coordinated advocacy, marketing, sustainability, and trade facilitation.

The federation's service portfolio spans three layers. At the policy layer, it conducts federal and state government affairs, manages a political action committee (USA Rice PAC), and coordinates crisis-driven task forces such as the Delphacid Task Force that secured EPA Section 18 emergency exemptions for crop protection tools. At the industry layer, it runs the annual USA Rice Outlook Conference and RMA Convention, the Rice Leadership Development Program, the Rice Supplier Directory, and research publications including the Domestic Usage Report and Rice Eating Occasions Report. At the consumer layer, it operates ThinkRice.com (a recipe and nutrition portal), USA Rice Daily, The Rice Stuff Podcast, and the National Rice Month Scholarship Contest. The technology stack is conventional: web content, email newsletters, social media, and event management software — there is no proprietary technology platform.

USA Rice does not sell products or services to end customers and has no public pricing model. Its revenue mechanics are assessment-based, with the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board providing the largest single allocation ($2.8 million of $2.86 million approved for 2025-2026). The organization is not an investment vehicle in the conventional sense; it is a member-funded trade body whose value lies in collective advocacy, market development, and convening power rather than equity returns.

Name

USA Rice Federation

Legal name

USA Rice Federation

Website

https://usarice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

USA Rice Federation is a non-profit trade association founded in 1994, representing U.S. rice farmers, millers, merchants, and allied businesses. It conducts federal advocacy, runs industry events, and promotes U.S.-grown rice domestically and internationally, funded primarily by per-bushel producer/buyer assessments administered through state rice research and promotion boards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Rice Farming (11116), Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614), Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (926140)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rice Farming (AFAGAAAC), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Congresses (THAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Rice industry advocacy
• Agricultural trade association
• Rice marketing promotion
• Crop protection advocacy
• Agricultural sustainability programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government/Farmer Assessments: Funding comes from assessments of 1.35 cents per bushel paid by rice buyers and producers, administered through state rice research and promotion boards such as the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board.
2. State Board Allocations: USA Rice receives the largest allocation from state rice research and promotion boards for domestic and international marketing and promotion efforts, such as the $2.8 million allocation from Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board for 2025-2026 projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

USA Rice Federation is a non-profit trade association that advocates for the entire U.S. rice industry value chain, representing farmers, millers, merchants, and allied businesses. The organization coordinates domestic and international marketing and promotion efforts, conducts industry research, advances sustainability programs, and provides a unified voice in policy advocacy at federal and international levels. Services include industry publications, annual conferences (USA Rice Outlook Conference, RMA Convention), supplier directories, leadership development programs, and consumer-facing education through ThinkRice.com.

Product overview

USA Rice Federation is an industry trade organization serving as the global advocate for the U.S. rice industry. The organization offers a portfolio of publications (USA Rice Daily, Whole Grain, The Rice Stuff Podcast, USA Rice e-Brief), research reports (Domestic Usage Report, Rice Eating Occasions Report), and event programs (USA Rice Outlook Conference, RMA Convention). Consumer-facing resources include ThinkRice.com and the National Rice Month Scholarship Contest. Industry support services encompass the Rice Supplier Directory, Rice Leadership Development Program, and sustainability initiatives (Sustainability Report, International Sustainability Report, Rice Stewardship Partnership, Advancing Markets for Producers). The organization coordinates domestic and international marketing efforts and provides market information, trade access resources, and agricultural education programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ThinkRice.com: Consumer-facing website featuring hundreds of rice recipes, nutrition information, foodservice resources, teaching tools, and facts about U.S.-grown rice.
• USA Rice Daily
• Whole Grain
• The Rice Stuff Podcast
• National Rice Month Scholarship Contest
• Rice Stewardship Partnership

Products and services

• USA Rice Membership Industry membership providing U.S. rice farmers, millers, merchants, and allied businesses access to advocacy, marketing programs, industry research, policy representation, and trade access facilitation. Funded through per-bushel producer/buyer assessments and state rice research and promotion board allocations.
• USA Rice Outlook Conference Annual national conference for the U.S. rice industry covering agricultural policy, market analysis for international buyers, sustainability, and rural mental health. The 2025 edition was held December 7-9 in New Orleans with keynote speakers including former Google innovation evangelist Steve Lerch and futurist Nikolas Badminton.
• RMA Convention Annual convention for rice millers, merchants, and allied businesses featuring speakers, special events, sponsorship opportunities, and venue/travel programming. The convention serves as a key networking and business meeting for the rice milling sector.
• Rice Leadership Development Program Structured training and mentorship program administered by The Rice Foundation, developing future leaders in the rice industry through industry exposure, leadership curriculum, and mentorship from current industry executives.
• Rice Supplier Directory Searchable online directory hosted on the USA Rice website that connects buyers with rice and ingredient suppliers across the U.S. rice industry, supporting market access and sourcing.
• Aromatic Rice Quality Symposium Inaugural aromatic rice industry symposium held July 8, 2026 in Dallas, Texas in conjunction with USA Rice annual Business Meetings. University rice breeders, research institutions, and RiceTec prepare and display newly released aromatic rice varieties for tasting and evaluation, supporting the growth of the U.S. aromatic rice segment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Emergency exemptions granted for insecticide to control rice delphacid affecting Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas rice production
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Just SaladminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 December 2025USA Rice partnered with Just Salad, a fast-casual restaurant chain with over 100 locations across seven states, to promote U.S.-grown basmati rice through a month-long December campaign. The collaboration featured Just Salad's new Chicken Tzatziki Market Plate and included in-store signage, co-branded social media, customer emails, and paid advertising highlighting U.S.-grown sourcing.
• Delphacid Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSA Rice coordinated the Delphacid Task Force, comprising researchers and farmers from southern rice-producing states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas), to advocate for emergency EPA approval of insecticides to control rice delphacid infestations causing significant crop damage. The coordinated advocacy included meetings with EPA and engagement with Senator John Kennedy.
• RiceTeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRiceTec, a rice seed company, is participating in the inaugural Aromatic Rice Quality Symposium alongside university rice breeders and research institutions to display and prepare newly released aromatic varieties for tasting and evaluation, supporting the growing aromatic rice segment in U.S. production.
• Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion BoardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board provides the largest funding allocation ($2.8 million of $2.86 million total) to USA Rice for domestic and international marketing and promotion efforts to increase consumption of U.S.-grown rice. Funding comes from assessments paid by rice buyers and producers.
• University Rice Breeders (multiple universities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRice breeders from multiple universities and research institutions collaborate with USA Rice to display and prepare newly released aromatic varieties at the Aromatic Rice Quality Symposium for tasting and evaluation, supporting variety development and market acceptance.
• BASFminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBASF sponsors the official event app for the USA Rice Outlook Conference, supporting the annual gathering of industry stakeholders covering agricultural policy, market analysis, sustainability, and rural mental health topics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usaricenews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheUsaRiceFederation
• Facebookfacebook.com/usarice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usa-rice-federation
• Instagraminstagram.com/think_rice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 USA Rice Federation