American Pecan Promotion Board

What American Pecan Promotion Board does

The American Pecan Promotion Board (APPB) is a federal research and promotion program (commodity checkoff) established in 2021 at the explicit request of the U.S. pecan industry and operating under USDA oversight. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, the APPB is funded by mandatory industry assessments collected from pecan producers and importers across 15 core producing states, and is governed by a board of producers and importers with executive staff of approximately 20 spanning marketing, operations, finance, and industry relations. The organization does not sell pecans directly; it invests collected assessments into consumer marketing, food service partnerships, health professional education, and pecan-related research to increase demand for U.S.-grown pecans, which account for approximately 80% of global supply and nearly 300 million pounds annually.

The APPB's product surface is a portfolio of programs rather than commercial products. Core consumer deliverables include the eatpecans.com digital platform (30+ recipes, nutritional education, the 'Surprisingly Snackable' campaign), multi-channel social presence (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn), and an Instacart storefront aggregating pecan halves, pieces, butter, oil, and milk from third-party brands. For industry and professionals, the APPB operates food service partnership programs (menu innovation, co-branded marketing, staff training), the Pecan Powerhouse Network of credentialed health professionals with continuing-education webinars, a peer-reviewed Pecan Research Library, a research RFP funding program, and an industry reporting portal at appbportal.com. It coordinates with complementary organizations including the American Pecan Council, National Pecan Federation, the U.S. Pecan Growers Council, the National Pecan Shellers Association, and 15+ state and regional commissions and associations.

The business model is checkoff-funded: revenue is derived from mandatory industry assessments plus co-funded food service marketing partnerships, and is fully reinvested into promotion, research, and market development. Because the APPB is a USDA-supervised industry board rather than a commercial enterprise, revenue is not publicly disclosed and there are no equity holders, funding rounds, or M&A. The organization's strategic value to the pecan industry lies in its regulatory mandate, federally backed credibility (American Heart Association Heart-Check certification), and federated network of state commissions, regional associations, importers, and health-professional advocates.

Name

American Pecan Promotion Board

Legal name

American Pecan Promotion Board

Website

https://eatpecans.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The American Pecan Promotion Board is a USDA-overseen federal checkoff program established in 2021 that funds consumer marketing, food service partnerships, health professional education, and research to drive demand for U.S.-grown pecans, which supply roughly 80% of global production across 15 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Irving

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industry Assessment Fees: The APPB operates under USDA oversight and collects mandatory assessments from pecan producers and importers to fund promotion, research, and market development activities. This is a checkoff-style program established at the request of the pecan industry.
2. Co-branded Marketing Partnerships: Works with food service operators on promotional campaigns where partners contribute to or share costs of co-branded marketing initiatives. Revenue is reinvested into industry promotion programs.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The American Pecan Promotion Board is a USDA-overseen checkoff program that funds and executes pecan promotion, research, and market development through mandatory assessments on U.S. pecan producers and importers. It operates consumer education (eatpecans.com), foodservice partnership programs, health professional resources with funded research, and industry reporting tools to increase demand for American pecans.

Product overview

The American Pecan Promotion Board operates a consumer-facing digital platform centered on pecan promotion, featuring an extensive recipe collection, nutritional education, and health professional resources. The product portfolio includes consumer pecan products (pecan halves, pecan butter, pecan milk, pecan oil, pecan pieces), a recipe platform organized by category (appetizers, mains, desserts, snacks, breakfast, drinks), professional foodservice programs, a health professional resource center with research library and funding opportunities, the Pecan Powerhouse Network for credentialed health professionals, and an industry reporting portal for pecan growers and handlers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consumer Pecan Recipe and Content Platform Comprehensive digital platform on eatpecans.com featuring consumer-facing pecan recipes organized by category (appetizers, mains, desserts, snacks, breakfast, drinks), nutritional information, and culinary inspiration to promote pecan consumption year-round.
• Foodservice Pecan Programs Professional support services for food service operators including menu innovation collaboration, marketing support, staff training, and professional recipes designed for commercial kitchen execution.
• Pecan Research Library A curated collection of peer-reviewed studies on pecan agriculture and nutrition supporting evidence-based practices for researchers and health professionals.
• Research Funding Program A research program that funds innovative research projects expanding knowledge about pecans' nutritional properties, health benefits, and agricultural advancements through RFP submissions.
• Pecan Powerhouse Network A dedicated network of credentialed health practitioners providing updates on the latest pecan research and resources to share with clients in their practice.
• Pecan Industry Reporting Portal A reporting portal for pecan industry members providing tools, marketing guides, and technical documents for industry professionals.
• Health Professional Resources Educational materials, fact sheets, and clinical tools designed for health practitioners including continuing education webinars offering continuing education credits on pecan nutrition, culinary applications, and evidence-based health messaging.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• City BarbequeflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerRestaurant partnership featuring pecan-enhanced menu items. City Barbeque partnered with APPB to introduce a signature sweet potato casserole with pecans for Thanksgiving. The limited-time offering drove measurable results: 1,300+ orders, 236 new guests, and 4,300+ website visits during the promotion period.
• InstacartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline grocery marketplace partnership enabling consumer purchase of pecan products. The 'Shop pecans' feature on eatpecans.com redirects to Instacart store for convenient consumer purchasing.
• Georgia Pecan CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState commission representing pecan producers in Georgia. R.G. Lamar serves as Chairman. One of the major pecan-producing states working with APPB for coordinated promotion efforts.
• Texas Pecan BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState pecan board representing producers in Texas, the largest pecan-producing state. Troy Swift serves as President. Coordinates with APPB for industry promotion.
• National Pecan FederationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization advocating for pecan industry interests. Bob Redding serves as contact. Works with APPB on national policy and market development.
• Western Pecan Growers AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional association representing pecan growers in western states. John White serves as contact. Coordinates regional promotion and industry events.
• Southeastern Pecan Growers AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional association serving pecan growers across southeastern states. Vicki Jenkins serves as contact. Collaborates with APPB on regional market initiatives.
• Tri-State Pecan Growers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional association serving pecan growers across multiple states. Stephen Norman serves as contact. Supports local industry coordination.
• American Pecan CouncilflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistinct but related organization committed to growing sales and industry profitability. Operates under USDA oversight similar to APPB. Both organizations serve the pecan industry with distinct but complementary missions.
• National Pecan Shellers AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit trade association of pecan shellers (handlers). Robert Rankin serves as Executive Director. Committed to educating culinary and health professionals about pecans.
• U.S. Pecan Growers CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization promoting international marketing of U.S.-grown pecans. Coordinates with APPB on export market development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Honey Board: USDA-overseen checkoff for honey, focused on consumer promotion, food service marketing, and research. Mirrors APPB's structure, mandate, and small-team execution model.
• Almond Board of California: USDA-overseen commodity checkoff program for California almonds. Directly comparable to APPB as another federally backed tree-nut promotion board funded by industry assessments and focused on consumer demand creation, research, and health professional outreach.
• American Egg Board: USDA-overseen commodity checkoff for eggs, focused on nutrition research, food service partnerships, and consumer marketing. Structurally analogous to APPB in funding, governance, and demand-development mandate.
• National Mango Board: USDA-overseen promotion board for mangoes. Comparable to APPB as a smaller specialty-crop commodity checkoff running consumer marketing, retail partnerships, and nutrition research.
• American Pistachio Growers: Trade association and marketing body for U.S. pistachio growers, running consumer marketing, health research funding, and food service programs. Directly comparable in target consumer (health-conscious snackers), channel mix, and promotion-only operating model.
• Dairy Management Inc. The dairy checkoff organization managing generic dairy promotion, nutrition research, and food service partnerships. Operates at much greater scale but shares APPB's checkoff funding model and demand-creation mandate.
• California Walnuts: The California walnut marketing board, another USDA-overseen tree-nut checkoff that funds promotion, research, and industry development. Comparable to APPB in structure, funding model, and consumer health-led positioning.
• National Peanut Board: USDA-overseen commodity checkoff for peanuts. Closely mirrors APPB's structure as a producer-funded promotion, research, and market development body operating under federal oversight.
• Cotton Board: USDA-overseen research and promotion program for cotton. Comparable in governance structure and producer-assessment funding model, though operating in a different commodity category.

Broad incumbents

• National Pork Board: USDA-overseen checkoff for pork producers, operating with significantly larger budgets and broader consumer reach. Comparable as a federally backed commodity checkoff using producer assessments to fund promotion and research.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EatPecans
• Facebookfacebook.com/eatpecans
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/americanpecans
• Instagraminstagram.com/eatpecans
• Pinterestpinterest.com/eatpecans

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 American Pecan Promotion Board