Right Place, Right Time, Right Ingredient: Unlocking Global Market Demand for California Almonds

Innovation within the almond category continues to accelerate at a rapid pace. Walk into any grocery store, and you will find almonds in some form, in every aisle. In fact, in the last year alone, almonds were included in nearly 10,000 new products worldwide¹, a clear sign that momentum is continuing to build.

The Almond Board of California (ABC) is investing in that momentum by actively exploring new opportunities that would continue to grow and strengthen global demand for California almonds. Using the intersection of market viability, operational feasibility and consumer desirability, the Almond Board is looking to partner with key stakeholders to capitalize on food innovation in a way that’s never been done before.

Understanding the Future Consumer

At the 2025 Almond Conference, Lu Ann Williams of Innova Market Insights shared that consumer trends are constantly changing, and keeping pace is essential to growing demand and value for California almonds.

Trends show that while taste is king, consumers are also wanting nutrition, functionality, good ingredients and low sugar. New desires are even more health-forward, focusing on protein, fiber and a clean label.

“Almonds are an absolutely fantastic ingredient because they deliver on all those things that consumers are looking for,” Williams said. Snacking culture is helping reinforce this behavior. Sixty percent of Gen-Z consumers say they eat more than one snack a day, and forty percent of consumers now say they substitute a meal with a snack². As snacking becomes more prominent, consumers are looking for snacking options that satisfy both nutrition and indulgence.

Looking ahead, Williams and her team at Innova identified six key food trends for 2026: protein, gut health, indulgence, beverages, plant-based and mind balance. Positively, because of the many applications of almonds, they “can play in all categories,” Williams explained.

Where Growth is Happening

The United States remains the number one market for almond product launches, and there is immense opportunity to explore more premium applications, like chocolate covered almonds and dairy alternative protein drinks.

Coming in at second is India, where almond consumption is no longer about the whole nut; it’s moved across the entire retail chain.

“In India, almonds are not just a commodity,” Williams said. “They are this highly value-added, appreciated ingredient that works from a taste point of view, from an appeal point of view, and from a nutrition point of view.”

Asia, another highly populated market, accounts for almost a third of new product launches in 2025. From milk teas to malt beverages, the Asia beverage culture offers a unique opportunity for the almond industry to explore applications in both traditional settings and more fun atmospheres, like drink shops and sports bars.

Driving Demand in the University and College Space

One of the areas ABC explored deeper this year was the college and university space. This audience offers immense size and scale, and there’s a constant cycle of new, potential customers.

“This is a place where a large portion of a generation of Americans are going to college, and they are eating new foods,” said Emily Fleishmann, vice president of global market development at ABC. “They are in control of their diets in ways they’ve never been before, and they take these eating habits with them into the future for their entire lifetime.”

This generation is also driven by experience, hence the saying “phone eats first,” said Amy Cesta of Schafer Condon Carter. This phrase refers to younger generations taking pictures of their food to share socially. For them, food is all about connection and engagement with their friends.

The potential to grow this sector is monumental. With over 3,500 campuses across the country, this sector serves 15 million students daily and is an $18 billion industry. The landscape is also vast – think dining halls, food courts, campus bars, coffee shops, food trucks and catering. 

Menus are also increasingly unique. Typical items like pizza and macaroni and cheese have now become ramen and sushi, giving almonds a greater opportunity to be applied in non-traditional food menus.

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits for this audience is that they’re nimble. This flexibility means you can incorporate almonds as an ingredient much easier than any other market or segment.

In 2025, ABC activated this opportunity in partnership with Schafer Condon Carter by hosting seven pop up events at universities nationwide, with a population of 20,000 students or more. The students were given the opportunity to try almonds of various forms and products.

After one of the pop ups at the University of Massachusetts, “90% of students reported an affinity for almonds,” Cesta said. This firsthand exposure to almonds is what drives interest and becomes adoption, which is what is especially exciting about this audience.

India Positioned for Accelerated Growth

India remains one of the most promising long-term growth markets for California almonds. Dr. Amitoj Singh of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said that because of strong economic momentum, evolving consumer landscape, and the channel transformation, almond consumption has the potential for tremendous growth in the region.

Today, consumers in India are prioritizing health and wellness, premiumization, natural and sustainable, and convenience in product innovation. Almonds align well with these initiatives, sitting at the intersection of them all.

“Out of 100 million pounds of almonds and products, 10% goes into bakeries and cafes, another 10% into local sweet shops, 77% into ice cream sweets, breads and cereals, and 13% into hair care and skin care,” Singh said.

To tap into this rise in demand, Singh and his team identified four key areas where potential can be unlocked. 

1. Drive excitement and a strong pull for almonds through creative consumer campaigns
2. Equip and educate product developers through trade shows and conferences
3. Engage with key government and food science institutions to reshape labeling and build credibility
4. Collaborate with leading food service partners and brands to co-create high volume products

Singh explained that their approach here was inspired by consumer-led innovation, where you first understand the unmet needs of consumers and translate that into long-term, sustainable innovation. Using this information, the BCG team also created four themes to shape future California Almonds campaigns in India:

1. Transform indulgent foods into healthier, great tasting options
2. Position almond milk as a premium beverage rather than a replacement of milk
3. Go beyond traditional thinking which could limit consumption
4. Leverage premium festival and ritual occasions

Singh explained that these themes are currently being put to the test with a recent campaign, where they partnered with a leading coffee chain in India. The outcome resulted in more than 30 ideas, 10 of which are currently under further development.

Looking Ahead: Sustaining Momentum

Across the globe, consumers are looking for products that deliver on taste, nutrition, convenience, and health, and almonds check all those boxes. By investing in innovation, engaging with the next generations of consumers, and building on the already-successful progress in India, the Almond Board is laying a solid foundation for long-term demand for California almonds.

Clarice Turner, president and CEO at ABC concluded, “If we come together, think differently and innovatively about this and embrace what almonds could be, we will be unstoppable in this space.”