Collaboration between different California agricultural commodities tends to happen organically, on a both a farmer-to-farmer and commodity-to-commodity level. However, all too often perpetual busyness and continued responsibilities maim larger entities’ ability to take time to share their own learnings and insights from growing and processing a crop.
Members of the Tetrapartite meeting visited three different crops during their time in California’s Central Valley, including Travaille and Phippen (TAP), a fully integrated almond operation in Manteca.
Fortunately, the annual Tetrapartite meeting addresses that exact problem, keeping the channel of communication and idea sharing open across country lines. And, earlier this spring, the Almond Board of California (ABC) had the opportunity this host this important meeting, which was attended by 20 top agricultural minds from France, Canada, the UK and US. During the meeting, these top ag leaders convened in the heart of the Central Valley for a few days to discuss successes and failures from their own countries’ farming efforts and also to learn about the state of agriculture in California, from advancements made to innovations on the horizon.
History of Tetrapartite: One Man’s Vision Come to Life
According to a USDA press release published in 2015, the concept for an annual Tetrapartite meeting originated with Jacques Poly, former Director General of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA). Poly sought to learn best practices in agriculture and share ideas with other leaders and institutions conducting national research in agriculture. After sharing this concept with key leaders in Canada, the UK and the US, Poly received interest from individuals in each country. Since then, top international ag leaders – members of government entities equivalent to USDA ARS (Agricultural Research Service) – have continued to meet every year for honest discussions about their challenges faced, solutions discovered, and visions formed for the future. Locations for their annual meeting change each year; in 2015 North Carolina hosted the meeting, allowing attendees to visit pecan farms and more.
In preparation for each meeting, Tetrapartite members select a couple topics to discuss throughout their time together. This year, for the 36th annual meeting, members chose to focus on how to produce grape and tree crop systems in an ever-changing environment. Individuals from each country spent equal time discussing how their countries were managing these types of crops in an ever-evolving environment.
International Ag Meets California Almonds, UK “Mind boggled”
Agriculture leaders from France, Canada, the UK and US convened in the heart of the Central Valley to discuss their countries’ farming successes and failures and also to learn about the state of agriculture in California.
Members of the Tetrapartite meeting visited three different crops during their time in California’s Central Valley, including Travaille and Phippen (TAP), a fully integrated almond operation in Manteca. Dave Phippen, almond grower and partner at TAP, gave members a tour of the operation’s hulling/shelling and handling facilities, answering members’ questions about how TAP maintains almond quality and the challenges of farming in an ever-changing, increasingly regulated environment. Walking through the handling facility, these top ag minds from around the world were especially impressed by the amount of automation and technology that exists at today’s almond handlers.
After touring TAP, Tetrapartite members traveled to Modesto to visit the Almond Board office, where they met with ABC President and CEO Richard Waycott, Vice President Julie Adams, Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Karen Lapsley and others to learn more about ABC’s function in the California almond industry. In her discussion with members from the UK, Lapsley said they were “mind boggled” by the fact that the Almond Board is totally integrated with the industry, interacting with players throughout the supply chain – from farm to fork. This level of integration is unheard of in other countries across the world, according to Lapsley.
“During our time with Tetrapartite members, we had a distinct opportunity to showcase the depth and breadth of our industry, and, in particular, to highlight our continued commitment to research in a variety of areas, from nutrition to production to consumer demand,” said Lapsley.
