One of the ways the CWB provide value to the industry is through creating and sustaining consumer demand for California walnuts. Consumer interest and demand is of utmost importance to food manufacturers, retailers and foodservice operators, and this must be demonstrated before they will purchase walnuts.
Retail programs help drive additional consumption during a time of year when walnuts are not top of mind with consumers. California Walnuts conducted a snacking campaign that ran May through August, a time of year outside the typical retail promotion period. A core part of the campaign was a national retail promotion with 26 retailers operating over 7,400 retail locations. Additionally, media outreach efforts resulted in 1.6 billion messages on walnuts and snacking during the duration of the campaign. This program was designed to drive snacking usage and encourage retailers to consider promoting walnuts in new ways.
American Heart Month is another retail program that encourages retailers to promote walnuts outside the holiday period. February 2021 was the second year of national promotion of American Heart Month, with 34 participating retailers representing 10,400 retail locations. Retailers saw an average sales lift of 22.5% during the campaign, which was supported through television and radio advertising reaching 52% of US households. This program has helped shift the mindset of many retailers to believe there is value in promoting beyond the traditional holiday season.
Over the last year the CWB has been working with USDA through the Grades & Standards Committee to update the Marketing Order’s mandated outgoing inspection process. As part of this effort, the CWB voted to suspend mandatory outbound inspections of California walnuts in an effort to provide immediate relief to the industry while the CWB undergoes formal rulemaking changes through the USDA. The decision stands to benefit the industry by mitigating market disruptions, removing redundancies and duplicative costs.
Production and Post-Harvest Research
The CWB investment in production research results in continuous improvements to ensure the industry is maximizing opportunities, solving today’s challenges and preparing for the future. The CWB conducts research programs to maintain the industry’s competitiveness in producing and processing walnuts while investing in applied projects that directly benefit immediate grower needs. Research topics cross a breadth of areas including: pest management, orchard management, food safety, product quality, byproduct use and new walnut varietal development. Recently, the CWB-funded walnut breeding program at UC Davis released a new varietal, the UC Wolfskill. This new varietal was created in the hopes of finding a later leafing and earlier harvesting Chandler-like variety.
The CWB Grades & Standards Committee approved 11 post-harvest research projects. Three of these projects look at byproduct utilization for the walnut industry with the intent of adding further value across the supply chain for walnut growers and handlers while promoting sustainability. Projects pertaining to byproduct utilization currently funded are focused on walnuts for use in concrete as a curing agent, for use in hydroponic plant production, and using hulls as part of poultry feed.
The Grades & Standards Committee also funded a project that aims to develop methods and a database that can help differentiate walnuts from different origins and cultivars. This will help protect and preserve the integrity of California walnuts’ world-renowned reputation and further mitigate adulteration while promoting product quality.
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