Why are almonds so expensive and...more...
Almond
sales are booming because of their well-advertised health benefits, but could
drought in California lead to a world shortage of the nut?
It
has been likened to a modern-day gold rush. The growth in the popularity of
nuts as a healthy snack has seen a boom in business for California's almond
farmers. Eighty-two per cent of the world's almonds come from America's Golden
State, where it is the leading agricultural export.
"Nut
crops and almonds particularly have risen in value as the world has realised
the nutritional value of eating almonds and how good they are for our
bodies," explains David Phippen, a life-long almond grower in the prime
agricultural area of central California.
Phippen's
solar-powered farm is a partnership between five families. It is one of the
first in the world to use robots, designed using Nasa technology, to sort good
almonds from bad.
It
is a highly mechanised process with sophisticated irrigation systems in the
orchards but, above all, almond production is dependent on the climate.
The
region - which is about a 90-minute drive from Silicon Valley - is one of the
few places in the world where almond trees will grow.
It
has the perfect combination of a cold - but not too cold - winter, which allows
the trees to lie dormant, followed by a mild spring that encourages them to
wake up and bloom.
Crucially,
the trees need about 500-700 hours of dormancy followed by a frost-free period
when they burst into life - usually around Valentine's Day.
Farmers
like Phippen have responded to the global surge in business - especially from
the UK and emerging markets like China and India - by expanding their orchards.
"The
value of each kernel has gone up dramatically and growers are looking for the
best return on their investment so they're still planting almond trees at an
alarming rate," he says. "If you decided to plant an orchard right
now, you would wait two years for available root stock to actually plant."
The
almond has not always enjoyed a positive image.
"In
the early- to mid-90s, nuts in general and almonds in particular were felt to
be unhealthy because they had so much fat," says John Talbot,
vice-president of global market development for the Almond Board of California.
But
he says research has shown that the fat content of almonds is a positive
attribute.
"It's
the good fat, it's not the bad fat," he says, adding that a greater
understanding of the positive role of monounsaturated fats has changed people's
perceptions.
Good
fats, such as monounsaturated fat, have been shown to have a beneficial effect
on the body, decreasing the risk of heart disease and improving blood
cholesterol. Harmful fats include saturated fats which come mainly from animal
sources of food. They can be found in processed foods and have been linked to
raised cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease.
In
recent years the almond industry has seized on the health-promoting qualities
of the nut. Marketing campaigns have resulted in a steady but significant
growth in business.
A
print and online advertising campaign in the UK in 2012 positioned almonds as
the "on-the-go essential snack". A Young at Heart campaign in China
focused on the idea of "perpetually feeling good", while mothers in
India were fed the message that almonds would help their children succeed in
whatever they do. In the US, with slogans like The Crunch That
Keeps You In The Game, the Almond Board of California has promoted
the "crunch power" of the nut to physically active consumers.
Independent
research appears to support the broad claim that almonds are a healthy food
choice.
Researcher
and registered dietician Dr Michelle Wien has been studying the health benefits
of almonds for over a decade. In one study, at the City of Hope National
Medical Centre in Duarte, California, Wien discovered that when the nuts were
incorporated into a weight-loss programme, dieters lost a greater percentage of
their bodyweight than those who did not eat almonds.
"They
have a good amount of fibre, they are the highest protein-containing tree nut
and my patients reported that they enjoyed the crunch and the chewing of the
mastication process when they were consuming the almonds," explains Wien.
She
says almonds have the effect of making people satisfied and less hungry for
longer. It is a finding that has been observed by other researchers.
In another study, Dr Wien set out
to evaluate the effects of almonds in people with pre-diabetes. She found that after 16 weeks, individuals who were
consuming approximately 43-57g (1.5-2oz) of the nuts per day, had improvements
in their bad cholesterol levels.
Wien,
who works with diabetes patients, says almonds have qualities that make them a
valuable ingredient in a snack.
"Since
almonds are high in fat, they will reduce what's called the glycemic index of
the snack," she explains.
"If
you pair something with a low glycemic index, which would be the almond, with
the higher glycemic index food, which would be the fresh fruit or a cracker,
then you're going to minimise the rise in blood sugar after the snack."
Buying
almonds in bulk makes sense financially. But consumers should be aware that
gorging on the nuts is not to be advised. A single 28g (1oz) serving - about 23
whole almonds kernels - contains 160 calories and while each nut carries a
powerful nutritional punch, they should be eaten sparingly.
Research
suggests that each kernel should be savoured, individually, to realise its
nutritional benefits.
One
study concluded that an almond should
be chewed 25-40 times to optimise its satiability factor. Prolonged chewing of the nut aids the release of
nutrients into the body.
The
cost of almonds has almost doubled over the past five years. In fact, the crop
is so valuable, it has attracted a new breed of thieves. Nut-nappers, as they
have become known, have been making off with produce by the lorryload, leaving
a hefty dent in the profits of some growers.
A
truck piled high with nuts can be worth well over £100,000 ($160,000) and it is
a tempting target for the opportunistic thieves. There has been a spate of
thefts in recent months, although it is a problem the industry has faced for a
number of years.
"Two
truckloads of almonds that were processed and ready for shipment were actually
taken from our facility by people not authorised to take them," says
Phippen.
"When
something is worth a lot, there are unscrupulous folks that would like to have
it for nothing."
The
industry has hit back through increased vigilance among workers on the farms.
Over the past year, new checks have been put in place to ensure that freshly
processed loads are not stolen from under their eyes.
"We
thumbprint and take pictures of the driver, we take pictures of his licence,
take pictures of the truck, we document in so many more ways than we used to,
so the trust factor is being challenged a little bit and to me that's a little
bit sad," says Phippen.
The
close-knit industry, with mostly family-run farms, has also developed an online
community where word spreads rapidly when nut-nappers are in the neighbourhood.
The
local authorities have been successful in tracking down and prosecuting many of
the thieves. In a recent case a man was jailed for a year after admitting his
role in the attempted theft of almost 20 tonnes of almonds.
The
Almond Board of California says the theft of nuts does not pose a major
industry-wide problem. A more ominous threat is the growing water shortage in
California. The state is suffering its worst drought since records began, over
a century ago. There has been very little rain for the past three years and
reservoir levels are dropping.
"They're
at the lowest level we've seen for this time of the year probably in my
lifetime," says Phippen.
"Could
we survive a fourth year of drought is the question and the answer is, 'I don't
know,' I haven't tried that yet and we just don't know what Mother Nature is
going to provide between now and then."
As
for the price, there is no sign that nuts will become a cheap snacking option,
any time soon. Demand is growing but supplies are limited and the drought could
fuel a further short-term increase.
"It's
really a matter of supply and demand," says Talbot.
"Compare
(nuts) to other foods and they are more expensive than potato chips and more
expensive than pretzels. People willing to pay a little bit more because there
is a greater nutritional value - it is the perceived value of the
product."
What
is in a portion of almonds?
Serving
size of 28.35g (1oz) or 23 whole almonds
Calories:
164
Total
fat: 14.1g (Saturated fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated fat: 3.5g Monounsaturated fat:
9g, plus other trace fats)
Cholesterol:
0mg
Sodium
0mg
Potassium
200mg
Carbohydrates:
6g
Dietary
fibre: 3.5g
Sugar:
1g
Protein:
6g
FIGURES
California produces about
2 billion pounds of almonds per year, or 82% of the world's supply - the size
of the crop has doubled over the past decade
Sales
in the UK increased by 18% in 2010-12. In 2011 Almond Milk sales
increased 79% on the previous year
Other
almond exporters include Australia, with 5% of the world's supply and
the EU (mostly Spain) with 6%
By
Peter Bowes BBC News, Los Angeles http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26118225
No comments:
Post a Comment