California is a major player in the global agriculture industry and boasts the fourth largest economy in the world. In addition to producing the majority of the nation’s nuts, California also grows more than 90% of the nation’s tomatoes and nearly all of the table grapes consumed in the US. S. which are employed in processing. California was transformed into a global leader in agriculture because of its Mediterranean climate, which makes it the perfect place to grow a wide variety of crops. California’s economy depends so heavily on tree nut production that the Golden State has designated four nuts as official state nuts: pecans, pistachios, walnuts, and almonds.
California’s enormous almond production cannot be overstated. California is the state that grows and processes about 80% of the world’s almonds. Almond production in California reached 2,446,000,000 pounds in the 2023–2024 crop year, and it is expected to rise in the upcoming crop year. Almonds were ranked only fifth among the top 10 commodities in California, behind dairy, grapes, cattle, and lettuce, despite the state’s enormous production of almonds. Almond milk and other dairy-free products are becoming more and more popular, and the billions of pounds of almonds are sold both domestically and internationally. Although almonds are one of the foods most affected by climate change, there is some good news: the almond industry is working to become more sustainable.
Small nuts are big business in California
Another highly profitable and significant California crop is walnuts, which are well-known for their omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants associated with brain health. California had more than 400,000 acres of walnut trees in 2024, and even though the state’s yield was lower than in previous growing seasons because of the weather, 603,000 tons of walnuts were still produced. Germany has continuously imported the most walnuts over the past five years, despite California exporting walnuts all over the world.
Pistachios are grown in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, but California produces the majority of the nation’s supply. Because of the maturing orchards and newer trees, California’s pistachio production is only anticipated to rise over the next five years. Pistachio trees now account for 22 percent of all trees as of March 2025, surpassing walnut trees’ 16 percent. Almonds still account for a staggering 62 percent of tree nut-bearing acreage, surpassing both tree nuts.
A healthy pecan tree can flower and yield nuts for an astounding 300 years, making them the only tree nut species native to the United States. Since the production of pecans is greatly outweighed by that of the other “big three” nuts—almonds, walnuts, and pistachios—pecans are sometimes referred to as “the other nut.”. In a state known for experiencing nearly constant drought, such extensive nut production demands an unimaginable amount of water.