Over the last decade, growing food industry led demand for hazelnuts has not been satisfied globally with a corresponding expansion in supply.
Over the last decade, growing food industry led demand for hazelnuts has not been satisfied globally with a corresponding expansion in supply. Most worldwide commercial hazelnut orchards are traditionally concentrated in a select few areas: in fact, more than half of the global production of in-shell hazelnuts is concentrated in Turkey, followed by Italy, Oregon and Azerbaijan.
The growing demand for nuts and the necessary diversification of supply are urging for production in additional areas that are suitable for hazelnut tree cultivation around the world. But the new territories suitable for hazelnut farming should be chosen carefully, taking into consideration not only the current climatic conditions, but also the climate of the future, its changes and the expected impacts, in order to meet the thermal and water requirements of hazelnut growth and development.
Given the long-term nature of the investment needed to establish new orchards – around 10 years after planting before full production – and given the global changes expected for the future, businesses and decision makers need support from the world of research in defining the right strategies.
Climate sciences can offer an ex-ante evaluation of the future production trends, thus highlighting opportunities for the future of hazelnut cultivation. This has been done for the case of Australia, where an increase in hazelnut imports by more than 60% from 1992 to 2015, highlighted the need to enlarge domestic production through the establishment of new hazelnut plantations.
Read more at CMCC Foundation - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change
Photo Credit: ejaugsburg via Pixabay
