Research & Innovation

Growing Up Sustainable

When you grow a healthy food people love, you have to do it right. California almond farmers are improving their practices and reducing impacts through 47 years of Almond Board-funded research, with a total investment of $95 million.

California’s 7,600 almond farmers are committed to the responsible stewardship of the land for the benefit of our families, communities and everyone who loves to eat almonds. We’re working to grow almonds in better, safer and healthier ways, protecting our communities and the environment.

Almond Board of California Research Partners

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Innovation through research.

The Almond Board’s research programmes help California almond farmers and processors provide almond lovers around the world with a safe, wholesome, and sustainable product.

Since 1973, the Almond Board of California has supported nearly 700 research projects on the industry’s behalf, working with leading universities and independent experts to uncover the positive impacts of almonds on human health, improve food safety and yields and optimise farming practices and sustainability.

By partnering with the University of California, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Environmental Defense Fund and others, the California almond community is exploring new technologies and out-of-the-box solutions that address farming needs today while helping to build the almond orchard of the future. The Almond Board’s Strategic Ag Innovation Committee sets strategic direction for this research, supported by working groups that specialise in distinct areas of almond farming and processing. Together, these groups solicit and evaluate research projects to meet the needs of the California almond community while benefiting local communities and the environment.

Culture of continuous improvement.

Our work doesn’t stop there. Collaborating with university extension programs, nonprofit partners and others, Almond Board staff is dedicated to sharing best practices with almond farmers and processors and providing support as they continue to improve their farming practices.

One of the ways we do that is by translating research findings into actionable and field-ready recommendations shared with farmers and processors through a variety of educational resources and on-farm workshops.

In addition to topical resources, almond farmers and processors can participate in the California Almond Sustainability Programme (CASP). Established in 2009, this programme functions through self-assessments in which participants answer questions about their practices across specific almond farming topics and learn about best practices along the way. This information provides collective data about how California almonds are grown and the adoption of best practices while highlighting opportunities for improvement. To date, 27% of California’s productive almond acreage has been assessed through CASP.¹