Unlocking the Benefits of Regenerative Almonds

Partnerships to Develop and Expand Global Climate-Smart Market Opportunities through Grower Incentives

This project will promote the adoption of climate-smart and regenerative practices on California almond farms, including those operated by underserved producers, and expand market opportunities for climate-smart almonds through development of verified claims, business-to-business reporting, and supply-chain greenhouse gas quantification. This will support the development of a market-based mechanism for almond buyers and incentivize almond growers to adopt climate-smart practices.

The project plans to provide incentives for almond grower adoption of cover crops, conservation cover, hedgerows, and whole orchard recycling. The project plans to develop a third-party verification and chain of custody system to support marketing efforts.

And explore how to best leverage products as propriety brands or ingredient products sold to other food companies, or both. The project plans to have all growers quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits using the COMET Planner Tool as employed in California for the CDFA Healthy Soils Program.

The project also plans to develop a system of monitoring, reporting, and third-party verification of climate-smart practices. The project plans to engage third-party verification and chain of custody systems to support climate-smart claims that relate to product labeling needs and customer expectations.

Upon establishment of these systems, Blue Diamond Growers will convene meetings with key internal leaders, consumer insights analysts, and financial analysts to explore how to best leverage product claims resulting from this program with either proprietary brands or ingredient products sold to other food companies, or both. Upon establishment of these systems, Blue Diamond Growers will convene meetings with key internal leaders, consumer insights analysts, and financial analysts to explore how to best leverage product claims resulting from this program with either proprietary brands or ingredient products sold to other food companies, or both.

About 85% of the requested funds are planned to go to specialty crop growers of almonds to implement Climate Smart practices.

To be eligible, producers must:

1. Participate in Blue Diamond's Orchard Stewardship Incentive Program

2. Register farm and orchards with the USDA Farm Service Agency

3. Complete an Application at Blue Diamond

4. Provide proof of implementation for program activities

For a complete checklist, see here.

Online applications for 2023 are closed. Find updates here.