International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA)

What International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA) does

The International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit scientific society registered in Monticello, Illinois, USA, formally established in June 2010 after a Declaration of Intent signed at the 9th ICPA in 2008; its origins trace to the founders of precision farming in Minnesota in the early 1990s and the inaugural 1992 International Conference on Precision Agriculture. The organization serves scientists, educators, extension personnel, technology developers, service providers, policymakers, and students working in precision and digital agriculture across five defined regions: Africa, Asia/Oceania, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America.

ISPA's core offerings are organized around scientific conferences, peer-reviewed publications, and member resources rather than proprietary technology. Its portfolio includes five recurring conferences (the biennial global ICPA and the regional ECPA, ACPA, CLAP, AfCPA), the peer-reviewed journal Precision Agriculture (PRAG), proceedings, a monthly newsletter, an agriculture course database, a membership directory, job listings, and topical communities (Economics, Nitrogen Management, On-Farm Experimentation, plus the regional AAPA and Latin America communities). The society also publishes the only globally recognized Precision Agriculture Definition, available in more than 15 languages and updated in January 2024, and operates a volunteer Country Representatives network. There is no proprietary software, AI platform, or technology product; ISPA is fundamentally a knowledge-dissemination and convening organization.

ISPA generates revenue through annual membership dues (Student $50/year; Individual $80/year, with discounts for members from developing countries), conference registrations (with member discounts), and likely publication and sponsorship income, though no financial figures are publicly disclosed. Governance rests with a 9-member international Board — expanded from 4 in 2024 by adding five Regional Representatives — supported by a part-time paid Executive Secretary. Distribution is delivered digitally through ispag.org, monthly email newsletters, and social media (Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn), and in-person via conferences and the global Country Representatives network. ISPA has no parent company, no venture capital backing, and no disclosed acquisitions or funding rounds.

Name

International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA)

Legal name

International Society of Precision Agriculture

Website

https://ispag.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ISPA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit scientific society that convenes the global precision agriculture community through international conferences, peer-reviewed publications, topical communities, and a globally recognized PA Definition, serving researchers, educators, students, and policymakers across five world regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Society and Membership Services

akta.pro primary industry

International Standards Development & Standardization Bodies (BPADANAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Precision agriculture research
• Scientific society membership
• Agricultural conferences
• Peer-reviewed publications
• Agricultural networking community

Headquarters

HQ city

Monticello

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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: ISPA generates revenue through annual membership dues at two tiers: Student Membership ($50/year) and Individual Membership ($80/year). Discounts are available for members from developing countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ISPA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit scientific society that advances precision agriculture through annual membership subscriptions, international conferences (ICPA, ECPA, ACPA, CLAP, AfCPA), peer-reviewed publications, and a global network of Country Representatives and topical communities. Members gain access to membership directories, discounted conference registrations, monthly newsletters, job listings, and the official Precision Agriculture Definition available in 15+ languages.

Product overview

ISPA offers a portfolio of conferences (ICPA, ECPA, CLAP, AfCPA, ACPA), publications including the peer-reviewed journal Precision Agriculture (PRAG) and proceedings, and members-only resources including an agriculture course database, membership directory, and newsletter. The society also facilitates topical and regional communities (Economics, Nitrogen Management, On-Farm Experimentation, African Association for Precision Agriculture) and provides job listings. ISPA is a scientific organization, not a technology product company, so it does not offer software products, platforms, or AI-powered tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ECPA-PC (European Conference on Precision Agriculture - Program Committee): Independent organization maintaining alignment with ISPA through formal partnership agreement
• AAPA (African Association for Precision Agriculture)

Products and services

• International Conference on Precision Agriculture (ICPA) Biennial flagship conference bringing together scientists, researchers, and practitioners in precision agriculture from around the world.
• European Conference on Precision Agriculture (ECPA) Annual European regional conference covering precision agriculture research and applications.
• Latin American Precision Agriculture Conference (CLAP) Regional conference focused on precision agriculture developments and practices in Latin America.
• African Conference on Precision Agriculture (AfCPA) Regional conference promoting precision agriculture advancement and collaboration across African countries.
• Asian-Australasian Conference on Precision Agriculture (ACPA) Regional conference covering precision agriculture developments across Asia and Australasia.
• Student Membership Annual membership tier for full-time students pursuing a degree related to precision agriculture, priced at $50.00/year with discounted dues.
• Individual Membership Annual membership tier for individuals who may serve on committees, hold office, and vote on society matters, priced at $80.00/year.
• Precision Agriculture Definition Official definition of precision agriculture developed by ISPA, available in over fifteen languages.
• ISPA Newsletter Monthly electronic newsletter providing updates on ISPA news, job listings, and upcoming events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Precision Agriculture Definition developed and available in over 15 languages (2024 updated version)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• African Association for Precision Agriculture (AAPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023AAPA is an affiliated organization to ISPA that supports the growing interest in precision agriculture in African countries by organizing and contributing to the promotion of PA through scientific, informative, extension, and training activities. AAPA holds annual community meetings, organizes sessions at ICPA and AfCPA, publishes quarterly newsletters, and hosts webinars.
• European Conference on Precision Agriculture - Program Committee (ECPA-PC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2008ECPA-PC maintains a formal partnership agreement with ISPA and is considered an affiliated organization. ECPA-PC is an independent organization with its own governance, membership, and mission while maintaining alignment with ISPA. The partnership ensures continuity, quality, and scientific standards of ECPA across editions and organizes the European Conference on Precision Agriculture.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crop Science Society of America (CSSA): Scientific society for crop scientists offering conferences (including the International Annual Meetings with ASA), peer-reviewed journals, and member resources. Highly comparable model to ISPA with overlapping member base in agricultural research.
• European Society for Agronomy (ESA): European regional scientific society for agronomy researchers, organizing the European Conference on Agronomy. Closest regional analog to ISPA in terms of mission, conference-driven model, and academic membership.
• American Society of Agronomy (ASA): Global scientific society serving agronomists with peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and membership tiers. Directly comparable to ISPA in mission (advancing a sub-discipline of agriculture), membership-based non-profit structure, conference-led GTM, and journal portfolio.
• International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS): Global scientific society advancing horticulture through congresses, symposia, and peer-reviewed publications (Acta Horticulturae). Highly comparable as an international non-profit scientific society in agriculture with a multi-region conference model.
• International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR): International non-governmental organization promoting agricultural and biosystems engineering through world congresses and working sections. Directly comparable to ISPA in international scope, conference-based model, and academic leadership.
• Soil Science Society of America (SSSA): Scientific society serving soil scientists with peer-reviewed journals, annual meetings, and topical communities. Closely comparable non-profit scientific society structure to ISPA, often co-located with ASA and CSSA meetings.
• American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE): International scientific and educational organization for agricultural and biological engineering, with peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and standards development. Comparable to ISPA in advancing an engineering/applied research discipline through conferences and publications.

Emerging players

• AgGateway: Non-profit industry organization developing data standards and interoperability in precision agriculture. Adjacent to ISPA's standardization role via the PA Definition, but focused on industry data exchange rather than scientific research community.

Broad incumbents

• International Fertilizer Association (IFA): Global industry association for the fertilizer industry, with conferences, statistics, and policy work. Overlaps with ISPA's Nitrogen Management community and serves a broader fertilizer industry constituency rather than precision agriculture researchers specifically.

Others

• Global Alliance for the Future of Food: Non-profit philanthropic alliance focused on sustainable food systems. Tangentially related to ISPA through agricultural sustainability themes, but a funder/coalition rather than a scientific member society; included as a thematically adjacent ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ispag
• Facebookfacebook.com/ispag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-society-of-precision-agriculture-ispa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA)