The March-April 2025 issue of Almond Facts covers an international update and great things to come from Kai Bockmann, tariff updates from Almond Alliance president and CEO - Alexi Rodriguez, an exclusive interview with Clarice Turner – president and CEO of the Almond Board, how to report carpophilus beetle presence in your orchards, damage to look for and treating of in-orchard pests and much more!
NEWS, VIEWS, AND INDUSTRY INSIGHT
MARCH-APRIL 2025
The Nutty Cruiser is a Big Hit!
A Discussion with the Almond Board’s Clarice Turner
Got Carpophilus ? Report it.
Advocacy Report with Alexi Rodriguez
Quality Almond Trees. Superior Service.
“Our move to orchards in 1996 was a very new venture for us! Sierra Gold trees gave us a great start in the almond business. When it was time to replant, our Sierra Gold Nurseries Field Representative, Paul Smith, helped us select varieties and a newer rootstock. We feel good about going with Sierra Gold again and we have great confidence in their team.” - Phil Wilson | Chico, California
Contact your local field representative! Sierragoldtrees.com/reps • (530) 674-1145
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ALMOND FACTS
MAR–APR 2025
Contents
8 FIELD TEAM 10 MARKET REPORT 14 NEWS IN A NUTSHELL 26 CORNERING THE MARKET 30 MEMBERSHIP BASICS 34 GROWING THE GOODNESS 36 ADVOCACY REPORT 40 IN YOUR ORCHARD 46 CLASSIFIED ADS
Leaffooted bug damage. Photo credit: Mel Machado Read more about in-orchard pests on pages 44-45.
Features
6 President’s Corner President and CEO, Kai Bockmann discusses his outlook for Blue Diamond and new markets the Cooperative is venturing into. 14 A Discussion with Clarice Turner, Almond Board President and CEO Clarice Turner, president and CEO of the Almond Board of California shares about her leadership style, incredible experience, vision, and strategy for the future of the almond industry.
36 Advocacy Report with Alexi Rodriguez New president and CEO of Almond Alliance, Alexi Rodriguez provides an update on the tariff situation and what is being done to support the almond industry during these times of uncertainty. 42 Carpophilus Beetle Reporting In this article, the Almond Board of California provides information on reporting carpophilus beetle presence in your orchard.
ON THE COVER: The Nutty Cruiser is a big hit amongst growers, employees, and Blue Diamond fans!
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Stephen Van Duyn, Chairman of the Board | Modesto Kent Stenderup, Vice Chairman | Arvin Kelli Evans | Live Oak Dale Van Groningen | Ripon John Monroe | Arbuckle George A. te Velde | Escalon Nick Blom | Modesto Dan Mendenhall | Winton Matthew Efird | Fresno Chris O´Leary | Minneapolis, MN & Scottsdale, AZ Kristin Daley | San Francisco
Kai Bockmann, President and CEO
ALMOND FACTS STAFF Blue Diamond Growers Communications Department, communications@bdgrowers.com Jillian Luna, Managing Editor Mel Machado, Contributing Photographer Gray Allen, Advertising Sales 916.783.4334 & 916.765.3234
Blue Diamond , the world’s largest processor and marketer of almonds, exports to over 100 countries.
Almond Facts , established in 1922, is published bimonthly by Blue Diamond Growers , 1802 C Street, Sacramento, California 95811. Address all correspondence to the Editor, Almond Facts , P.O. Box 1768, Sacramento, California 95812. Advertising subscription rates provided upon request. Blue Diamond is a registered trademark and marketing brand of Blue Diamond Growers . Other registered trademarks are The Almond People, Smokehouse, Golden State, Celebration, From the Valleys of California, Confetti and Almond Facts . Blue Diamond Growers does not endorse or verify statements made by advertisers within this publication. Blue Diamond reserves the right to refuse advertising. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
© Blue Diamond Growers 2025
AlmondFacts.com
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Blue Diamond Growers does not endorse or verify statements made by advertisers within this publication.
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
2025 has brought us face to face with new complexities and we are navigating the shifting dynamics of the current trade environment. This evolving landscape is being shaped by federal administration policies, where market volatility has become the new normal. While this can present challenges, we remain focused on staying ahead of the changes that may impact our business. Even amid these obstacles, we are dedicated to adapting and finding new opportunities to execute our strategic plan. We are seeing some promising results, and there is much more to come.
Recently, we have embarked on a range of exciting business opportunities. I’m thrilled to share that we’ve launched our new Produce Snack Almonds line—a bold step forward in bringing our snacks to new consumers, right where they shop for fresh, healthy options. We’ve now secured dual placement in the produce section of over 400 stores nationwide , and that number continues to grow. Key retail partners include Roundy’s (Kroger), Jewel (Albertsons), Giant Eagle, HyVee, AWG, Sendik’s, Lunds, and Gelson’s. Most of these accounts have embraced all six SKUs, a strong vote of confidence in both the product and the strategy behind it! We’re also expanding our digital and specialty retail footprint. We’ve started shipping to Amazon , with a new item program launching soon to drive consumer reviews. OTG , a premium airport retailer, will begin carrying Blue Diamond product in April, and we’re actively engaged in conversations with Costco and Sam’s Club . Additionally, as I have mentioned before, Europe is a target market for us and a few weeks into March we received our first of many orders of branded snack nuts to be shipped out over the Atlantic! It’s still early days for European business, but we are beginning to see our hard work pay off. Europe is not the only new market with exciting growth opportunities. We are building on our approach to doing business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and we have partnered with a new distributor, further expanding our reach in
this growing market. Our new partnership is a significant step toward strengthening our global presence and ensuring that Blue Diamond products are accessible to even more consumers worldwide. We are bringing the goodness of almonds to new places in a way we never have before. In addition to expanding in Europe and the UAE, our continued efforts to expand internationally are paying off, with new opportunities for Snack Nuts opening in places like South Africa. Our almonds are making their way onto more shelves, and we are confident that these markets will be pivotal to our growth over the coming years. Our marketing team has already had a very full year, and I cannot wait for you all to see what we have in store. We have rolled out several new campaigns that have already seen lots of success, driving both brand awareness and customer engagement. Our recent digital marketing initiatives have obtained impressive results, particularly with targeted social media campaigns that speak directly to our core consumers and new audiences. We have made it a point to expand our presence across major platforms to reach customers in new and exciting ways. Closer to home, we partnered with Urban Roots ® Brewery & Smokehouse in Sacramento, to celebrate National Almond Day in Sacramento on February 16. With more people than we anticipated in attendance and local news media coverage, the event was a success from start to finish. Several members from our local community organizations joined in the fun and the Nutty Cruiser was a huge hit!
Kai Bockmann President & CEO
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We also celebrated Employee Appreciation Day in early March and took some time throughout the day to recognize and appreciate all that our team members do for Blue Diamond . We appreciate our growers too, and Mel keeps me well informed of the challenges you are all dealing with to maintain the health of your orchards and the quality of your crops. Together, we are all making Blue Diamond successful! Thank you to everyone for your continued dedication and hard work. Together, we are making 2025 a year to remember. I am excited to share even more progress with you as we continue to grow, and I look forward to seeing all the great things we will achieve in the months ahead.
Kai Bockmann President & CEO
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FIELD TEAM
Regional Managers
Vice President, Member Relations Mel Machado
Tehama, Butte, Glenn, Sutter, & Yuba Christine Ivory, (530) 518-9109 Colusa, Yolo & Solano Nicole Jansen, (530) 338-6440 Sacramento County, San Joaquin County, North of Hwy 205 & East of San Joaquin River KC Clendenin, (209) 596-5375 San Joaquin County, West of San Joaquin River & South of Hwy 205 Stanislaus County, North of Tuolumne River & Hwy 132 Justin Elam, (209) 303-7306 Stanislaus County, East of Hwy 99, South of Tuolumne River Austin Jackson, (209) 417-2010 Stanislaus County, West of Hwy 99, South of Tuolumne River, South of Grayson & Howard Road’s West of San Joaquin River Merced County, North of Merced River & Hills Ferry & Stuhr Roads Trent Voss, (209) 470-5981 Merced County, South of Merced River & Hills Ferry Merced County, South of Hwy 140 Madera County, North of Avenue 12, Firebaugh Blvd, Avenue 7½, & W. Nees Avenue Carla Youngblood, (559) 240-0906 Madera County, South of Avenue 12, Firebaugh Blvd, Avenue 7½ & W. Nees Avenue, Fresno County, North of Hwy 201/Avenue 400, North of Conejo Avenue & Kamm Fresno County, South of Hwy 201/Avenue 400, South of Conejo Avenue & Kamm Avenue, East of Derrick Avenue, Tulare County, Kings County, & Kern County Anthony Scudder, (559) 470-9731 Membership Office Jennifer Claussen Supervisor – Member Relations Administration (209) 545-6225 & Stuhr Roads, North of Hwy 140 Kenny Miyamoto, (209) 323-8454 Avenue, West of Derrick Avenue Ashley Correia, (559) 356-1584
(209) 545-6222 – Salida (209) 531-6352 – Cellular Director, Member Relations Ben Goudie (209) 225-0413
Daniel Dekeyrel Member Relations Coordinator (Delivery Tags) (209) 545-6261
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2025 Grower Liaison Committee Members
LEGEND
DISTRICT 1
DISTRICT 2
John Monroe Elaine Rominger Gerald Rominger Carole M. Cain Catherine Cain Josh Pippit Catherine Marsh Michael Samra Jacob Amsler Dustin Timothy Sid LaGrande Jonnalee Dunn Josh Campbell Ryan Finnen Ashley Dowden Jake Amsler
Kelli Evans Dan Cummings Kevin Davies Timothy Perraie John Nock Meredith Christopher P. Samantha Lewis Larry Bradley Luke Konyn
Chair Vice-Chair Ex-Officio Director Appointed (Member-at-Large)
Tom Knowles Steve Carlos Michael Montz Brian Erickson Ray Antonowich
DISTRICT 3
DISTRICT 4
Dale Van Groningen John Thoming Bruce Oosterkamp Donald Drake Durk Van Laar Tim Mohler Jeff Stuit Jack Dalton Clayton Bogetti Don Freitas Andrew Kamper John Almeida Jordan Van Vliet Jason Van Groningen
George te Velde Kevin Fondse Kenneth Roos Matt Visser Lance Ioppini Wesley Eisenga Spencer Franceschetti Martin Adrian Lukas Doornenbal Ed Tilma John deVisser Scott Sand Wayne Bruns Joe Martin Rick Van Vliet
For Grower Liaison contact information, please contact your regional manager.
DISTRICT 5
DISTRICT 6
DISTRICT 8
DISTRICT 9
DISTRICT 7
Stephen Van Duyn Neil Van Duyn Harry (Sonny) Johns Matt Fredriks Danielle Higby LeBeouf Tim Baker James Kinzie
Nick Blom Charles Crivelli III Steve Vilas Dirk Van Konyenburg
Matt Efird George Goshgarian Colin Unruh Daniel Babshoff Melvin Lubisich Nayiri Saghdejian John Locker Andrew Cunha Ryan Metzler Michael Keith Smith
Kent Stenderup Clinton Shick Shaminder S. Brar Gerard A. Loaiza
Dan Mendenhall Robert J. Weimer Dan Clendenin Rodney L. Voumard Michael Temnyk Rodney E. Ratzlaff Jr. Steve Moeller John Pereira Bryan Jacobs Rick Scoto Dante Migliazzo Paul Atwal Minda Nespoli Jed Kruppa
Chris Couture Pete Romanini Ankit Behl
Justin Romero Derek Coelho Robert Mailloux Steve Scheuber Allen Peterson Jeff Lee Matt Romero John Hack Stan Chance Trevor Cordova Don Clark
Gordon Heinrich Chris Vanderstoel Jon Beck Jonathan Flora Bob Kulina Cody Vella Naomi Layland
Sam Ghilarducci Garrett Gilcrease John Allen Doug Kindig Brian Medeiros Karmjeet Jhandi Keith Gilbert
Ranvir Tung Kam Bopari
Mitch Bagdasarian Mike Mohammadi
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MARKET REPORT
ALMOND MARKET UPDATE
Blue Diamond Almond Market Update — March 14, 2025
OVERVIEW February shipments met market expectations, totaling 214.9 million pounds. Export shipments were slightly lower at 158.7 million pounds, reflecting a 2% decrease year-over-year, while domestic shipments saw a 4% decrease for the month. Despite these declines, strong performance in February has kept year-to-date shipments only slightly lower at -0.8%.
SHIPMENTS India:
February shipments totaled 25.6 million pounds, down 34% from the prior month and 6% from the previous year. Year-to-date shipments trail last year by 16%, totaling 221.4 million pounds, compared to 264.6 million pounds at this time last year. With over 800 loads shipped during the month, there is still significant buying expected to cover the second half needs to have ample supply for an early Diwali. China/Hong Kong/Vietnam: Shipments to the region totaled 3.8 million pounds in February, a 62% decrease compared to last year. Year-to-date shipments trail last year by 29%, largely due to ongoing tariff challenges. Chinese buyers continue to look to Australia for most of their needs, while Hong Kong traders continue to move volumes into Southeast Asia, supporting a 28% year-over-year increase in shipments to Vietnam. With geopolitical uncertainty, traders are exploring alternative avenues to keep buyers supplied through the rest of the year.
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Europe: European shipments in February totaled 60.7 million pounds, down 1% from the same period last year. Year-to-date shipments are behind by just 1%. Demand for processor-grade almonds remains strong, with offers being difficult to come by, which has led to price increases for standard almonds. The recent announcement of retaliatory tariffs may cause some buyers to pause as they await developments. With many Spanish processors well-sold in the area, coverage will be needed from California, placing buyers in a precarious position as the uncertainty continues to build. Middle East: Shipments totaled 24.4 million pounds in February, a 10% decrease compared to last year. Year-to-date shipments remain up by 20%. The decrease was expected and should help reduce high stock levels in Mersin and Dubai. Pricing in-country has been lower than California origin for the past several weeks, but it is expected to rise as higher-priced cargoes arrive. Despite Ramadan starting in late February, buyers have remained active, with some making purchases to cover needs for April/May. Overall, the region is showing continued strength, with demand for California almonds still on the rise. Domestic: February shipments reached 56.18 million pounds, 4.4% behind last year. Year-to-date shipments are now at 414 million pounds, down 1.5% from the prior year. After a record January, buyers took a step back in February, contracting 29.38 million pounds, resulting in commitments lagging last year by 16.55%. Despite this, there is still strong demand, and buyers still need to book coverage for the balance of the crop year.
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MARKET REPORT
Market Perspective In February, the almond market displayed mixed trends across regions, with total shipments aligning with market expectations. Steady demand and a tighter crop supply are leading to earlier product shortages, causing pricing to firm. Buyers continue to adopt a short-term purchasing approach, influenced by uncertainty around potential tariff impacts. Securing coverage sooner rather than later would be prudent to ensure a continuous supply. The outlook for the 2025 crop remains uncertain, with concerns about producing a crop larger than the previous year due to stress in orchards caused by last summer’s heat and ongoing water-related challenges. As the year progresses, the industry will continue to closely monitor these factors, and the impact on future supply will become clearer in the coming months. The next major milestone will be in May, when the USDA releases its Subjective Estimate. COMMITMENTS Total commitments reached 577.4 million pounds, the highest level in the last three months, though still reflecting an 8.5% decrease compared to last year. Both domestic and export commitments are lower. Buyers continue to adopt a short-term purchasing approach, yet still need to secure additional coverage, as current sales barely cover the upcoming months. New sales are strong, totaling 221 million pounds, marking a 3% increase over last year and setting a record for February. Assuming a 2.7-billion-pound crop, current shipments and commitments now account for 69% of total supply compared to 70% last year. The industry is on track to achieve a similar tight carryout as last year. CROP Crop receipts have now reached 2.68 billion pounds, indicating a final crop size of approximately 2.7 billion pounds, a 1% decrease compared to last year. With shipments maintaining a steady pace, it is anticipated that product shortages will occur even sooner than last year, particularly as the transition to the new crop begins. This is already being reflected in the pricing of certain products. Looking ahead to the 2025 crop, concerns are mounting about the ability to produce a crop larger than the previous year. Last summer’s heat caused significant stress in orchards, and ongoing water shortages and inadequate grower inputs continue to have a lasting impact. While it is still too early to draw definitive conclusions, the industry will closely monitor these factors in the coming months.
Laura Gerhard, Vice President of Ingredients and International Branded, Blue Diamond Growers
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The Almond Industry is in Good Hands
An Interview with Clarice Turner, president & CEO of the Almond Board of California Almond Facts hosted the Almond Board of California’s, president and CEO, Clarice Turner, for an interview to get to know her unique leadership style with a strong food industry background, her vision for the almond industry, plans for market growth, and wins for almonds. Almond Facts (AF): Clarice, it’s been a year and a half since you came on as president and CEO at the Almond Board. Could you share a little bit about your vision for the future of the almond industry ?
Clarice Turner (CT): The ABC team got together to talk about the purpose and higher calling behind our work. We aligned on: “Cultivating a healthier future.” This speaks to the health of growers in the industry and to human health. We care for both. Human health is important to everyone: you, me, people we know, governments. It’s a massive scale to think about. Almonds collectively are remarkable because we can truly impact improvements in human health. We know this because of our scientific, fact and data-based research. There’s no greenwashing in what we know, which is powerful. And for growers, farming is not getting easier and it’s not going to get any easier. Our top priority is to keep our growers growing. AF: What are some of the biggest challenges the industry needs to address and what is the Almond Board doing to support our California almond farmers ? CT: In farming, the regulatory environment remains uncertain, especially now. A part of ABC’s research focuses on dealing with pests like navel orangeworm. We also work with agencies like CDFA to stop pests from arriving in the state. We are regularly looking for ways to save farmers money and vetting practices that provide options for efficiency, such as using cover crops and promoting biodiversity. For example, using cover crops has been shown to improve soil health and help water soak into the ground better, and in-orchard plant diversity supports pollinators and the trees. Almonds are among the most researched foods because of their diversity, the strength of our federal marketing order and the challenges that have existed for over 50 years. A few decades ago, people thought almonds were unhealthy and caused weight gain due to their high fat content. However, Almond Board nutrition research has shown that almonds are an incredibly healthy food filled with healthy unsaturated fats, and that they can be a helpful tool for weight management. In fact, more recent research has shown that our bodies absorb about 25% fewer calories than what is on the nutritional facts label for whole almonds. Almonds are very versatile and are available in many forms, all of which contain important nutrients. Research also shows that almonds have a very high nutritional value for the inputs needed to grow them. We are working on research that shows the benefits of environmental investments tied to the nutritional value of the food and the resources used to grow that food. There is not much clarity in this space. It would be powerful to create a fact-based reference that can be made available to the public. We are sharing our findings about the nutrition of almonds and their environmental
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benefits together. We have new infographics (left and above) showing the relationship between water use (four crops per drop), carbon footprint and nutrition, which will further support our message. Water has always been a topic of concern, so we want to ground it in fact and highlight the nutritional density and protein content in almonds. We have a great story to tell, and we need to ensure people have the full picture. ABC also hosts and sponsors a wide variety of educational tools like in field workshops, and our new Almond Learning Hub, a free resource for information and continuing education units. We bring experts together and facilitate sharing and learning.
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CT: That’s right. So, then you take the demand side of the equation. All those things indirectly drive demand because they provide positive information in areas people care about, like nutrition and the environment. Look at the business side of driving demand and you discover that so much more can be done with almonds and food innovation. Almonds are well positioned to be a solution as people are looking for plant-based proteins and nutritionally dense foods. Diets like Keto, gluten free, GLP-1 and others are becoming mainstream. We’re doing a lot of work to be a catalyst in moving innovation forward. Almonds are currently available in 14 different forms, yet chefs are taught in culinary school how to formulate with only three or four of them. We’re helping them ask, “What do you do with almond oil ? With almond flour ? With defatted almond powder ? With almond butter ? How do you incorporate those into recipes easily ? ” We’re developing a resource library to make it easy for food scientists and chefs alike to get creative with almond recipes. But we must make it easy to incorporate almonds no matter where you’re at with your culinary skills. We want to make almonds the ingredient of choice!
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This work may also lead to inventing new things too. We spent two days in meeting rooms where nine PhDs and various R&D experts produced 100 almond ideas. We’re now vetting those to see what has the most value for the industry. AF: Wonderful! Now, could you talk about who you are as a leader, some of your background and your leadership style ? And, more specifically, how you collaborate with farmers, researchers and other stakeholders in the almond industry ? CT: My overall leadership style is collaborative. I’m a very curious person. In fact, my mom used to limit the number of questions I was allowed to ask. I did the same thing with my daughter. I decided that after five questions on the same topic, we were done. I genuinely enjoy people and try to get the best out of them. In the last year and a half, I did 13 listening sessions up and down the Valley, where I discussed the state of the industry and opened it up for dialogue and questions. There is such an incredible level of knowledge and experience coming from the generations that have been engaged in almonds. I learned so much by visiting growers in their orchards to hear what’s on their minds, what they are struggling with, and what they’re excited about. In the first year, that gave me so much perspective. I try to learn as much as I can and listen to what’s going on. My gift is vision and strategy. I create an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and then look for the opportunities and the emerging threats and risks that we need to work to leverage and mitigate. Establishing relationships is very important to me and I’ve done that my entire career. I’m always connecting the dots on how ABC can add value. And then working closely with our team, the board and our committees. The answers are out there, we just need to ask the right questions and listen. AF: Now let’s hear about your leadership background in the food industry. You have so much experience in leadership positions with Boudin, Starbuck’s, Papa Murphy’s, Yum! Brands, and PepsiCo. You’ve done excellent work for those companies and your experience makes you a uniquely valuable leader for almonds. Can
you tell us how your depth of experience is aiding you in your new leadership position with the almond industry ? CT: When I started my career in franchising, I had to learn how to lead without having power. Franchisees would only do what the company wanted if it made sense to them. My job was to communicate between the franchisees and the company, telling the company what would and wouldn’t work for the franchisees and how to improve their initiatives. It was important to find a good middle ground. Many organizations don’t understand that it’s about creating value (pull) instead of forcing people (push). Building good relationships and credibility with franchisees helped establish trust. When I asked them to open more restaurants or remodel them, I came prepared with data showing how it would improve their profits over time. Importantly, I learned effective collaboration early on. I also serve on the board of the Culinary Institute of America and the National Restaurant Association, which gives me unique and valuable insight into the food industry. I understand how food goes mainstream in America and around the world. With my background, I know for a fact that chefs have limited exposure to the various forms of almonds, using just three or four of the 14 forms. Getting them excited and challenged is crucial. We are working to improve culinary training from kindergarten to high school, to colleges and universities, and for military, professional and pastry chefs. We want to teach students about nutrition, flexibility in cooking and environmental impact. We aim to reach all age groups to expand their knowledge and awareness of almonds. Thanks to my connections, we are actively developing these programs with the Culinary Institute and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, and we are expanding this work around the world. AF: How does your collaborative mindset and leadership experience in the food industry transfer over into the almond industry ? CT: My family has a small farm, so I’ve come to know it’s important to be curious and understand what matters to the growers, the supply chain, and to buyers. This means
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asking the right questions to find out what is most important so we can invest in what helps our growers the most. There are many factors to consider. We aim to focus on what adds value. Everyone in the supply chain has needs, from growers to companies making products like nutrition bars in China. It’s complex, but we are developing that roadmap. We hired Deloitte Consulting, one of the best in the global ag and food industries, to analyze what we were doing, and where future opportunities in different markets might be. My experience at Starbuck’s taught me that to make an impact, you need to break things down into smaller parts and lay out a clear plan. When I first started working on food at Starbuck’s, no one knew the steps or timeline for moving from testing a product to launching it to customers. I had come from PepsiCo where product development was a well-oiled machine. At Starbuck’s, it was much more complicated and took a great deal of discovery, planning and collaboration to create the food offerings and supply chain of today’s Starbuck’s. AF: Did that come as a surprise to you that they didn’t have a streamlined process ? CT: Yes, it was a shock. It helped me realize why we couldn’t execute food well across the U.S. I brought in the best people I knew in the supply chain to figure out who owned which parts. Then we mapped it out to find the intersections and create a timeline and process. When you go through experiences like that on that large a scale, you recognize that no matter what the project consists of, it helps to break down the parts, map it out and decide what’s most important, because resources are limited. You must focus on what’s important and eliminate what isn’t. AF: With that in mind, what have you found to be most important and impactful to our growers ? Of all the questions you’re asking, what is the number one thing for almond growers ? CT: In general, it’s to continue to drive consistent demand around the world because everything we do is to improve growers’ economics. Josette Lewis, ABC’s chief scientific officer, her team and our committees are very tuned in to what is realistic in terms of options or what may help grower operations. But the single biggest thing we can do is drive
consistent global demand. That will continue to keep global demand and supply moving smoothly. AF: Let’s talk about the market. What market trends are you currently monitoring and how are almonds positioned to capitalize on the trends ? CT: We’re monitoring a lot. High priority topics include environmental consciousness and carbon footprint. We’re looking at how to measure it all so we can support everything we say with facts, and get growers the recognition they deserve for practices they are already doing in their orchards. Generally, almonds show up well when you put them on an environmental comparison scale. The other thing is dietary trends. Many trends, like plant-based foods, are mainstream. People understand that eating more plant-based food is good for you and research supports that. Again, almonds align well here. New cardiometabolic research indicates the same thing. We just brought in experts from around the world who are highly respected in their fields to produce a white paper on cardiometabolic health. These experts critically analyzed 30 years of almond research and came to a consensus on the health areas where science strongly shows almonds’ benefits. Their white paper concluded that eating almonds daily is proven to support overall heart health, weight management and the gut microbiome. The paper has already been published by a prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journal. We will ensure it gets significant publicity in the healthy, scientific and consumer channels. We’re continuing to understand more about the human body and how almonds improve health, which informs us about what to research next. AF: What strategies are you currently employing to help almonds compete in the global market ? CT: There are a few important points. First, we want to move from just being a snack to also being seen as an ingredient. We aim to be the top choice for ingredients in countries where almonds can be used in products like snacks, baked goods, breakfast items, or bars. If a country doesn’t have the right infrastructure but has potential, we are working
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NEWS IN A NUTSHELL
to help grow our opportunities there. We believe we can grow the almond market significantly if we do things in the right order. Governments want their people to be healthier and they want to create jobs, so we can help do both. Countries like China and India are interested in this. We are continuing to build those relationships and learning how to work with different government authorities and stakeholders to make mutually beneficial progress. We are focusing on relationships to make it easier to export almonds. Recently, the UK reduced their import duties, and we are hoping for improvements in Japan as well. There are many factors involved, not just duties and technical issues, but also competition from other nuts and plant-based ingredients. However, we still provide about 80% of the world’s almonds and expect to maintain by far the largest share of the market by 2030. Australia and Spain can’t expand much because of their land and water restrictions, so California almonds will remain the top supplier. Even if other countries have better trade terms, as consumer demand grows there will continue to be strong demand for California almonds. We are known throughout the world for having the best quality and a consistent supply. AF: What are ABC’s strengths that continue pushing the industry forward ? CT: The research piece is vital. The depth and breadth of knowledge amassed is incredible. We have amazing people working with us including some of the world’s top experts in almonds and market development. Our relationships are key in helping us understand the broader network around the world. Many of our trade and regulatory team members have worked for our embassies and consulates and the foreign ag service. They understand longstanding and solid relationships that help us prioritize the issues. Above all, they are trusted, so the relationships and perspectives that we foster allow us to understand things more deeply as opposed to what you might read in the media. The other piece is driving global demand and ABC’s strength in developing a market. In the more developed markets, like the U.S. and Europe, the overall volume is
significant — 728M and 642M pounds, respectively. However, those are our more mature markets with smaller growth rates. In that situation, it’s easy for organizations to jump into costly market share battles. But instead of trying to increase one’s slice of the pie, it can be more fruitful to focus on making the pie bigger — and remembering that a 1% growth rate in the U.S. equals 70M pounds. That’s bigger than the total consumption of many of the markets where we do business today. Getting that 1% isn’t easy. This is where innovation and creativity come in to expand demand on behalf of our growers and identify global opportunities. We also need to plan for the future, looking for the 5-to-10-year growth opportunities and expanding market diversity. It is never a good idea to be overly reliant on one market or region — we ship to more than 100 countries and are seeing growth in virtually every region where we are engaged. From a strategy standpoint, we often tap local resources and bring in expertise. As we explore new markets to develop, this plays a key role. Turkey and Morocco are two markets that have greater potential and we’re exploring but we have also identified several longer-term markets where we are building relationships and knowledge. There are teams of people who know those markets deeply, so we pull in their insights to inform the best path forward. This helps us to utilize our resources wisely and get the best return for the growers. AF: Could you share some wins the Almond Board has collectively achieved recently ? CT: The Almond Board’s committees and industry members have done a lot! There are also some significant things in conjunction with the Almond Alliance. Almonds were just deemed a healthy food by the FDA, which is a huge win. And with collective industry efforts, almonds (almond milk, almond butter, and whole kernel) were included in the WIC program — the nutrition program for women, infants and children — that many people take advantage of. One of our barriers is allergens, so we are embarking on research with top allergy experts to examine novel treatment and prevention strategies for almond allergy. While almond allergy is extremely rare, there is emerging
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AF: Congratulations on those huge wins. That’s amazing. We’re curious to know, what is your favorite Blue Diamond product ?
data showing it is treatable and preventable, so we are working to do more almond allergen studies to reduce the barrier of almond allergy over the long term. That’s a big win because it’s been a long time with no research at all on that. Soon we anticipate having more information to help customers and consumers assess their allergen risks. The environmental stewardship and nutrition infographics are also big wins for the industry. The Almond Board’s California Almond Stewardship Platform (CASP) leverages our research and creates tools to help growers. The self- assessment collects information on farm practices across our orchards and aggregates the data, supporting our communications in this space. These are important wins because we need to make it easy for people to see almonds as the ingredient of choice. And we need them to understand what growers are already doing to deliver a healthy, safe product, while being excellent stewards of their land.
CT: Smokehouse. The ones I’ve eaten since I was a little girl.
AF: Good choice! Finally, do you have any closing thoughts for our member-growers ? CT: For the growers, we are so grateful for their trust and support. We welcome their involvement in Board activities. We’re trying to do the best we can every single day to make sure that we are maximizing the investment of their three cents per pound.
Jillian Luna, Communications Manager, Blue Diamond Growers
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MARCH–APRIL 2025
NEWS IN A NUTSHELL
Federal Maritime Commission — National Shipper Advisory Committee Transition to Selwyn Moore As Steve Schult transitions out of his role on the National Shipper Advisory Committee (NSAC) under the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), Selwyn Moore, director of global logistics at Blue Diamond Growers, has been appointed to take his place. This transition ensures that Blue Diamond Growers will continue to have a strong voice in shaping national freight and maritime policies that affect agricultural exporters and the broader supply chain industry. Moore will serve on NSAC’s Port Committee, focusing on port operations, congestion, and infrastructure improvements, all critical areas for supporting efficiency and reliability in global trade.
Steve Schult’s Contributions to NSAC During his tenure at NSAC from April 2022 to February 2025, Schult played a critical role in stabilizing supply chains and shaping national freight policies, mainly as global shipping recovered from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an advocate for agricultural exporters, he worked closely with industry stakeholders, regulators, and policymakers to ensure that challenges in ocean freight, port congestion, and equipment availability were addressed with practical and sustainable solutions. One of Schult’s most significant contributions was his leadership in stabilizing Blue Diamond Growers ’ freight system during a historic supply chain disruption period. As global trade lanes struggled with bottlenecks, rising costs, and unpredictable transit times, he implemented strategic partnerships with carriers, logistics providers, and port authorities to secure reliable transportation capacity. His ability to strengthen relationships with ocean carriers and optimize logistics operations positioned Blue Diamond Growers as a shipper of choice, resulting in industry leading, on time delivery and fill rates. Beyond his work in stabilizing supply chains, Schult played a pivotal role as chair of the Chassis Subcommittee at NSAC. Under his leadership, this committee successfully led efforts to improve chassis choice and availability across the U.S., influencing regulatory changes that enhanced chassis interoperability and reduced port congestion. By addressing inefficiencies in chassis management, Steve helped create greater flexibility within the supply chain, ensuring cargo moved more efficiently through ports and distribution centers.
In addition to his work on chassis issues, Schult served as a member of the Data Subcommittee, contributing to the standardization of Maritime Data Transfer and Integration (MDTI). His efforts improved data transparency and communication between shippers, carriers, and regulators, ensuring that critical shipping data was more accessible and actionable. His work in data standardization laid the foundation for California’s future port systems, driving forward initiatives aimed at digital transformation and increased efficiency in maritime logistics. Schult was also a key contributor to a National Academies study on chassis best practices, where he helped develop best practice recommendations for chassis management. These recommendations have been widely recognized for enhancing freight movement across the country and improving agricultural export logistics. Blue Diamond is very grateful for Schult’s excellent leadership as part of NSAC and for his stellar contributions on behalf of the Cooperative. Selwyn Moore’s Transition into NSAC With over 25 years of global logistics experience, Selwyn Moore, global logistics director for Blue Diamond Growers , is well-equipped to step into the NSAC role and ensure that Blue Diamond remains a strong advocate for agricultural exporters and supply chain optimization. His expertise spans international freight management, port operations, supply chain efficiency, and logistics leadership, making him a valuable addition to NSAC’s efforts to enhance global trade infrastructure.
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