Coming Soon: Sustainability Communication Efforts Expand to Europe

Matching increasing concerns among consumers about the environment and how their food is grown, the Almond Board is proud to expand its current sustainability communications program to Europe. This new program will build on long-standing sustainability communication efforts in the United States that began during the most recent drought.

Sustainability is very top of mind for Europeans and influences their purchasing decisions. As such, this program aims to educate European consumers and other stakeholders on the almond community’s commitment to responsibly growing a better crop and ensuring a brighter future.

Europe staging the sustainability conversation

Europe, home to four of the Almond Board’s global marketing regions (United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy), has long been a thought leader when it comes to sustainability. Recent developments of note include the EU Farm to Fork strategy, part of the European Commission’s European Green Deal, which aims to accelerate the transition to a “more healthy and sustainable EU food system.” Similarly, among vocal young European activists like Greta Thunberg, the youth climate movement has grown exponentially in recent years and made waves in the climate change conversation across the world. And, from the consumer packaged goods (CPG) and grocer perspective, conversations continue to gain steam in Europe around adding sustainability labeling to food packages, with an appearance similar to nutrition labels.

Daren Williams, ABC senior director of Global Communications, noted, “The conversation about sustainability is really led out of Europe with things like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and global initiatives by CPG companies. We want to be there at ground zero sharing how California almonds are grown responsibly."

Program will address consumers’ passion areas

Our industry’s responsible growing practices are highly relevant to Europeans who continue to stand for change and a more sustainable future, providing a great opportunity to build trust with consumers as we share California almonds’ own orchard-to-table story.

In the upcoming crop year, this EU sustainability communications program will build a strong foundation of research to illuminate the passion areas of Europeans as it relates to sustainability and what opportunities exist for communicating about how almonds are grown. Work will include media relations activities and direct consumer communications, leveraging early research insights to do so. Ramping up to a full program launch in the 2021/22 crop year, the main goal of the coming year is to understand what consumers are interested in and then begin sharing industry stories that resonate with them.

The Almond Board’s sustainability communications program is overseen by the Global Communications Committee and led by Danielle Veenstra, senior manager of Reputation Management and Sustainability Communications at ABC. Veenstra will continue to lead this program in the U.S. in addition to managing global strategy between the U.S. and the EU, with support in Europe from Kath Martino, a consultant who also supports ABC’s European marketing efforts. Martino is based in the U.K. and has worked on behalf of California almonds for six years, gaining insights that will help build a strong sustainability communications program in Europe. Veenstra and Martino are supported by additional ABC staff, including strategic counsel from Williams, with agency support from longstanding public relations and advertising partners Porter Novelli and Sterling Rice Group.

The Almond Board’s sustainability communications team is dedicated to educating consumers on how almonds are grown responsibly and about the California growers who ensure healthy, delicious almonds are enjoyed all over the world.

Questions? Please reach out to Danielle Veenstra at dveenstra@almondboard.com.