To the almond community, sustainable almond farming means relying on production practices that are economically viable and based on scientific research, common sense and a respect for the environment, neighbors and employees.
We recently interviewed Gabriele Ludwig, the Almond Board’s associate director of environmental affairs; an almond grower, Jim Jasper; and his pest control advisor, Wes Asai, to reflect on the scientific research and resulting innovations that have led to more sustainable almond farming practices over the past few decades. For example, almond growers now use 33% less water per pound of almonds they grow than they did 20 years ago.1
1 UC Drought Management – Historical Almond ET and Goldhamer, David. 2012. Almond in Group Yield Response to Water. FAO irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 65, P. Steduto, T.C. Hsiao, E. Fereres, and D. Raes, eds. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, pp. 246-296.
