Agriculture Marketing
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is a federal agency that administers the National Organic Program, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, commodity grading and inspection, market news, and federal food procurement services for U.S. agricultural producers and 37,000-plus certified organic operations worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1917
- HeadquartersKnoxville, Tennessee, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Agriculture Marketing does
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture agency established in 1917 that administers programs creating domestic and international marketing opportunities for U.S. producers of food, fiber, and specialty crops. AMS operates as a platform of distinct statutory programs rather than a unified product, anchored by the National Organic Program (NOP), which oversees organic certification for more than 37,000 farms and businesses worldwide through 80-plus accredited certifying agents, and the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) division, which enforces fair trading practices in fresh and frozen produce through licensing, dispute resolution, and statutory trust protections covering three U.S. regional offices (Western-Tucson, Central-Fort Worth, Eastern-Fredericksburg). Additional programs include Market News, Grades & Standards, Grading & Inspection Services, Commodity Procurement for federal food programs, Transportation & Marketing, Grants & Opportunities, Seed Regulations, and the Pesticide Data Program.
The agency operates several purpose-built digital systems: the Organic Integrity Database for verifying certified organic operations globally, the ePACA Portal for online license applications and reparation complaints, a Market News Database covering major commodity categories, and the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system for USDA Foods commodity procurement. Technology is positioned as an operational backbone rather than a commercial product, with no public API or partner SDK offerings.
As a federal government agency, AMS is funded through congressional appropriations rather than commercial revenue. Fee-based services include PACA licensing (base annual fee of $995 plus $600 per branch, capped at $8,000), informal reparation complaint filing ($100), formal complaint handling ($500), and organic certification fees set by certifiers (often partially reimbursable through the USDA Organic Certification Cost-Share Program). Distribution occurs through regional field offices, state certifying agents (15 states), self-service online portals, and toll-free customer service lines. International reach extends to cross-border organic compliance coordination with Mexico and Canada.
Agriculture Marketing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Agriculture Marketing
- Legal name
- Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Website
- https://ams.usda.gov
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1917
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is a federal agency that administers the National Organic Program, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, commodity grading and inspection, market news, and federal food procurement services for U.S. agricultural producers and 37,000-plus certified organic operations worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Agriculture Marketing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Marketing and Regulatory Services
- NAICS
- Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614), Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (926140)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Import/Export & Border Compliance Support (FSVP, Prior Notice, Health Certificates) (AFALADAE), Regulatory Submissions, Registrations & Facility Approvals (FDA/USDA/EU) (AFALADAD)
Keywords
Where Agriculture Marketing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Agriculture Marketing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | PACA License - Commission merchants, brokers, and dealers |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PACA Informal Reparation Complaint Filing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PACA Formal Complaint Handling |
| Other | Annual | Organic Certification Costs |
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Agriculture Marketing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture agency that administers regulatory, certification, grading, inspection, and market information programs for U.S. agriculture. Its core offerings include the National Organic Program (NOP) overseeing organic certification across 37,000+ operations worldwide, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) enforcing fair trading practices in produce markets, federal commodity grading and inspection services, market news reporting, and federal commodity procurement for food assistance programs. Services are delivered through dedicated digital portals (ePACA, Organic Integrity Database, WBSCM), regional offices, and accredited state certifying agents.
Product overview
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture agency that provides a comprehensive portfolio of regulatory, market, and certification services for the agricultural industry. AMS operates as a platform of distinct programs rather than a unified software product, including: Market News for commodity pricing information; Grades & Standards for quality verification; Grading & Inspection Services including Remote Beef Grading; the National Organic Program (NOP) for organic certification; the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) for fair trade practices; Commodity Procurement for USDA food purchasing; and Transportation & Marketing services. Digital access is provided through the ePACA Portal, Organic Integrity Database, and Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM). AMS also administers enforcement programs for organic and PACA compliance, grant programs for producers, and the Pesticide Data Program. The agency connects agricultural producers, handlers, and buyers while ensuring quality, fairness, and transparency in domestic and international agricultural markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Market News
- Grades & Standards
- Grading & Inspection Services
- National Organic Program (NOP)
- Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA)
- ePACA Portal
- Organic Integrity Database
- Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM)
- Commodity Procurement
- Transportation & Marketing Program
- Grants & Opportunities
- Seed Regulations and Testing
Companies that use Agriculture Marketing
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Agriculture Marketing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Agriculture Marketing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Colorado Department of AgriculturecoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Colorado.
- Idaho State Department of AgriculturecoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Idaho.
- Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land StewardshipcoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Iowa.
- Kentucky Department of AgriculturecoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Kentucky.
- Maryland Department of AgriculturecoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Maryland.
- Montana Department of AgriculturecoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Montana.
- New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & FoodcoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within New Hampshire.
- New Jersey Department of AgriculturecoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within New Jersey.
- New Mexico Department of AgriculturecoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within New Mexico.
- Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and ForestrycoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Oklahoma.
- Oregon Department of AgriculturecoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Oregon.
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental ManagementcoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Rhode Island.
- Texas Department of AgriculturecoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Texas.
- Utah Department of Agriculture and FoodcoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Utah.
- Washington State Department of AgriculturecoreState certifying agent authorized to provide organic certification services to producers and handlers operating within Washington.
- California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)coreCo-administers the California State Organic Program for organic producers along with California Department of Public Health for processed organic products.
- California Department of Public Health (CDPH)coreCo-administers the California State Organic Program for processed organic products along with California Department of Food and Agriculture for producers.
- Joint U.S.-Mexico Organic Compliance CommitteecoreUSDA-initiated compliance committee with Mexico to strengthen monitoring and enforcement controls on organic products traded between the two countries.
- United Fresh Produce AssociationminorTraining partnership for Produce Inspection Training Program between United Fresh and AMS.
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)coreCFIA has compiled a list of fraudulent organic certificates that have been publicly announced, providing cross-border coordination on organic fraud prevention.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights9 records
Agriculture Marketing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA): Canada's federal food-inspection, plant/animal health, and organic-equivalent regulator. Already a documented partner of AMS for cross-border organic compliance; directly comparable as a national agricultural marketing and inspection agency.
Broad incumbents
- European Commission DG Agriculture and Rural Development: EU body administering the Common Agricultural Policy including organic farming regulations (EU 2018/848). Comparable as a government body regulating agricultural marketing, commodity standards, and organic certification at regional scale.
- UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA): UK ministerial department responsible for agricultural policy, marketing standards, and organic-equivalent regulation. Comparable as a national-government agricultural-marketing and standards authority.
- USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS): Sister USDA agency overseeing animal/plant health, biotechnology regulation, and import/export agricultural inspections. Comparable as a USDA sister agency with parallel trade-compliance and regulatory enforcement functions.
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS): Sister USDA agency responsible for meat, poultry, and egg product inspection and food safety regulation. Directly comparable as a federal agricultural-food regulator operating under statutory authority, with overlapping grade/standard and inspection mandates.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Federal regulator with overlapping jurisdiction on food labeling, safety standards, and produce imports. Comparable as a U.S. federal agency setting food-quality and labeling standards with international recognition.
Regional players
- Texas Department of Agriculture: Authorized state certifying agent providing organic certification services within Texas. Comparable as a state-level organic certification and agricultural marketing authority in AMS's partner network.
- Oregon Department of Agriculture: Authorized state certifying agent providing organic certification services within Oregon. Comparable as a state-level organic certification authority operating under USDA's accreditation framework.
- California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA): State-level agricultural regulator and existing AMS partner in co-administering the California State Organic Program. Comparable as a sub-federal agricultural-marketing and certification authority.
Emerging players
- FoodChain ID: Private-sector provider of organic certification, food-safety certification, and supply-chain verification services. Comparable as an organic-standards certifier that competes in adjacent (non-USDA-NOP) certification categories serving similar producers and handlers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Agriculture Marketing social profiles
Digital presenceAgriculture Marketing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Agriculture Marketing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Agriculture Marketing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Agriculture Marketing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Agriculture Marketing
What does Agriculture Marketing do?
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture agency that administers regulatory, certification, grading, inspection, and market information programs for U.S. agriculture. Its core offerings include the National Organic Program (NOP) overseeing organic certification across 37,000+ operations worldwide, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) enforcing fair trading practices in produce markets, federal commodity grading and inspection services, market news reporting, and federal commodity procurement for food assistance programs. Services are delivered through dedicated digital portals (ePACA, Organic Integrity Database, WBSCM), regional offices, and accredited state certifying agents.
Is Agriculture Marketing a public or private company?
Agriculture Marketing is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Agriculture Marketing founded?
Agriculture Marketing was founded in 1917. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Agriculture Marketing based?
Agriculture Marketing is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Agriculture Marketing's main competitors?
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are European Commission DG Agriculture and Rural Development, UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Regional players are Texas Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Agriculture and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). FoodChain ID is listed as an emerging player.
Does Agriculture Marketing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Agriculture Marketing.
What industry is Agriculture Marketing in?
Agriculture Marketing's product category is Agricultural Marketing and Regulatory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFALADAH, Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned), with a secondary code of AFALADAE, Import/Export & Border Compliance Support (FSVP, Prior Notice, Health Certificates). Its NAICS code is 92614 and its SIC code is 700.