Let’s learn about almonds & sustainability! ☀️California is 1 in 5 places around the world that has the climate to grow almonds. We produce 80% of the world's almonds, and it hugely contributes to our economy. It is in our best interest to grow them sustainably! 💧Yes - almonds need water to grow. Plants require more energy, thus more water, to grow proteins than sugars 👩🏼🔬That being said, there is research being done on how to reduce their water impact 🌱Drip irrigation delivers water directly to the plants roots which greatly reduces evaporation or runoff. Between the 1990s and 2010s, farmers reduced the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by 33%. By 2025, they’ll have reduced that amount by another 20% 🌼 Cover crops help retain soil moisture and provide an additional pollen source for bees 📄 Regulations are being put into place to monitor groundwater withdrawals 🌊 Excess winter floodwater is being applied to dormant orchards to help recharge the aquifer (California’s underground water source) 🐝 Bees are super important for cross-pollination in almond orchards! 🚛 Yes - bees are driven across country to pollinate almond trees. They then are driven to other crops like oranges, berries, etc. Without bees, we would not have fruits or nuts 🌸 When almond trees bloom in February / March, it is the bees first natural food source of the spring. The nectar also contains amygdalin, which reduces viruses and parasites that attack bees 🔬Lots of research and innovation is being done to continually improve on almond farming practices and environmental impacts! #ad #almonds #growingalmonds #sustainability #environmentalscience #scicomm