Annual Meeting Synopsis (Sustainability) The sustainability session for the 112 th Annual Meeting highlighted Blue Diamond Growers ’ Orchard Stewardship Incentive Program (OSIP). OSIP consists of grower financial incentives aimed at grower assessment against best agriculture sustainability practices, encouraging continual education and improving farming practices. In year two of the program, crop year 2021,
with CASP. These changes are aimed at making CASP and OSIP more efficient and effective. For crop year 2022, there are two tiers within OSIP. Blue Diamond also celebrates the release of the inaugural sustainability report. This report, available online at www.bluediamond.com/sustainability, showcases the work of our growers and of the cooperative within key areas. It focuses on sustainable agriculture, water stewardship, biodiversity and pollinators, climate and energy, our people, and our communities. It shares the stories and data behind our years of stewardship. We also celebrated the recent announcement of Blue Diamond ’s $45 million award through the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant. This grant will support the cooperative’s ongoing efforts to help our growers implement climate-smart practices and tie the resulting benefits to the marketplace. Details of the grant are being worked through with USDA; funding is expected to be available to growers in 2023.
40% of all Blue Diamond acreage participated in OSIP, paying over $1.74 million to the participants.
Dr. Dan Sonke presenting
This means that Blue Diamond has the largest amount of almond acreage in a sustainability program of any company in the world. With the Almond Board of California adjusting the California Almond Stewardship Platform (CASP), we will need to update our program to continue to work seamlessly
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NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2022
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