The Perfect Climate

Why does California grow almonds?

It’s all about those cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers.

One of five places where almonds can grow.

While California grows over 350 different crops, it’s one of the few places on earth with the Mediterranean climate required to grow almonds. Others include the area around the Mediterranean Sea, Australia, South Africa and Chile. These regions are characterized by cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers, both essential for almond trees to thrive year round.

Ideal climate is a major reason California produces nearly 80% of the world’s almond supply¹. But California is unique in other ways too – rich soils, natural resources and infrastructure, and innovative research and technology. Of the more than 700 research projects funded by almond farmers to improve their practices, many were carried out by researchers at the University of California, Davis — one of the world’s leading agricultural universities conveniently located in the heart of California’s almond growing region.

A culture of innovation.

California has long been considered a hub of progress, encouraging innovation while working to protect the state’s abundant natural resources and scenic beauty. In 2006 California established the first comprehensive greenhouse gas regulations in the U.S., with more zealous targets than many signatories to the Paris Agreement. Since then, the state has continued its efforts, banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 and enacting a first-of-its-kind bill requiring large companies disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate risk.

Also home to Silicon Valley and the world’s fifth largest economy, California's growing environment is one of the most regulated in the world, with strict federal and state laws protecting the environment, worker and food safety. California’s almond farmers and processors abide by these regulations, with many industry initiatives going above and beyond these requirements as the industry works to be part of the solution.

¹International Nut and Dried Fruit Council.