KIND Snacks is launching a new agriculture initiative at a Madera County farm.
The company announced Tuesday that it is starting the KIND Almond Acres Initiative at KG Ranch.
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The big picture: KIND will work with Olam Food Ingrediants , an almond supplier, in Madera County to test new technologies with best practices from regenerative agriculture with the goal of providing benefits to the soil and farm as a whole.
- The pilot-project will be three years and kicks off KIND’s effort to source 100 percent of its almonds from orchards using regenerative agriculture practices on a mass balance basis by 2030.
- Almonds are the top ingredient for the company as they serve as the lead ingredient in over 45 of KIND products, leading the company to purchase millions of pounds of almonds every year.
Go deeper: The KIND Almond Acres Initiative will introduce the new technologies with best practices to 500 acres in California.
- Such best practices that KIND will use include cover crops, subsurface irrigation, whole orchard recycling, compost and biochar and off-ground harvesting.
State of play: KIND’s initiative will also work hand-in-hand with UC Merced. KIND is investing in the university to create the “KIND to the planet scholarship.”
- KIND has also become a member of the California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC), which is a network of environmental organizations, food and ag companies, beverage companies and retail and tech companies that work together to improve California’s water security.
What they’re saying: “We believe it is our responsibility to lead the almond industry towards a kinder way to grow almonds, and we are so proud and excited to be the brand paving the way,” KIND Chief Marketing Officer Kelly Solomon said in a statement.
- Monica Sozinho, the Director of Corporate Relations at UC Merced, said the scholarship is an investment that will tremendously help the students, many of which are first-generation college students.
- “It means a lot to our students to see a brand like KIND invest in our local community and for an initiative that they care deeply about – helping the planet,” Sozinho said.
Photo courtesy of KIND
