Senate Concurrent Resolution
No. 99
CHAPTER 33
Relative to California Almond Day.
[
Filed with
Secretary of State
April 11, 2024.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 99, Alvarado-Gil.
California Almond Day.
This measure would proclaim February 16, 2024, as California Almond Day.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, Almonds provide many health benefits and are a great source of protein, healthy fats, and fiber; and
WHEREAS, Almonds are gluten-free and contain more essential vitamins and minerals than any other tree nut, including vitamin E, calcium, niacin, magnesium, iron, and potassium; and
WHEREAS, Among their many benefits, almonds help maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels and a healthy heart, and also provide vital nutrients that promote skin health and muscle recovery and protect against ultraviolet radiation; and
WHEREAS, Almonds are the most versatile tree nut, providing a healthy food option that can be enjoyed in snacking and as an ingredient in baking and cooking; and
WHEREAS, Almond farming provides a benefit to the environment, combating climate change by storing 30 million metric tons of carbon per year; and
WHEREAS, Almond farmers have improved the efficiency of water use, reducing the amount of water used by nearly 50 percent since 1990 and using precision irrigation technology on 85 percent of all almond acreage; and
WHEREAS, Over 50 percent of almond farms have been identified as excellent and beneficial for groundwater recharge based on soil permeability; and
WHEREAS, Almond farming is zero waste, growing three crops simultaneously, the almond, the shell, and the hull, and the trees themselves can be recycled; and
WHEREAS, Almond farms house 500,000 acres of cover crops and 170,000 acres of bee-friendly farms, comprising 86 percent of all Bee Friendly Farming-certified farms in the United States; and
WHEREAS, California is home to 7,600 almond farms, nearly 90 percent of which are family farms, many owned and operated by third- and fourth-generation farmers; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 70 percent of California almond farms are 100 acres or less, and there are 98 almond handlers in California, many of which are family-owned businesses; and
WHEREAS, In California, the almond industry employs 110,000 people and contributes $9,200,000,000 annually to the economy; and
WHEREAS, California is responsible for 100 percent of the United States almond supply and 80 percent of the world’s almond supply; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature celebrates the contributions of almond farmers, processors, and other industry members, who make the almond industry one of the most successful and innovative in the United States; and be it further
Resolved, That February 16, 2024, is hereby proclaimed as California Almond Day; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.