National Peanut Board

Beginning operations in the spring of 2000, the Atlanta-based National Peanut Board (NPB) is a USA peanut farmer-funded research and promotions commodity board that represents all USA peanut farmers and their families. A ten-member Board, comprised of peanut farmers representing the peanut growing states, is focused on increasing consumption of USA-grown peanuts and peanut products. Through research and marketing initiatives, the board is finding new ways to enhance production for farmers and increase consumer demand by promoting the great taste, nutrition and culinary versatility of USA-grown peanuts.

The Board is composed of 10 producer members and their alternates: one member and alternate from each primary peanut producing state (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia) and one at-large member and alternate collectively from the minor producing states. The members and alternates are nominated by producers or producer groups. As of Jan. 1, 2009, the Board will have 11 members and 11 alternates with the addition of Mississippi as a major peanut producing state.

In pursuit of its overarching goal of stimulating consumer demand for all USA-grown peanuts, NPB works to communicate the differentiated value, positive nutritional attributes, versatility, portability and great taste of USA-grown peanuts, peanut butter and peanut products. NPB undertakes marketing programs domestically and internationally to reach that goal, working to spark new uses for USA-grown peanuts and peanut butter and to encourage the creation of innovative peanut products.

Through partnerships with other commodity groups, manufacturers and foodservice, NPB helps extend the message-reach and bring USA-grown peanuts to places they have never been before. Through a targeted foodservice initiative, NPB actively promotes the culinary cachet of peanuts and peanut products by positioning them as versatile ingredients that can add nutrition, flavor, texture and culinary appeal to any meal, any time of day in world cuisines as well as American favorites.

The National Peanut Board also funds peanut production research to help create crop efficiencies, improve crop quality and reduce production costs. Since its inception, NPB has invested more than $8.1 million to this effort.

The National Peanut Board is funded through a mandatory one percent assessment levied on the value of each USA peanut farmers' crop. Subsequent referenda are required every five years to determine peanut farmers support for the program. NPB's annual funding supports development and implementation of domestic and export advertising and marketing promotion programs. Through NPB, USA peanut farmers also fund health, nutrition, food allergy, market trends, and production research. NPB also can enter into cooperative agreements with peanut product manufacturers to promote USA-grown peanut products.