Blue Diamond Growers, a farmer-owned cooperative and the world’s leading almond company, has joined forces with Divert, Inc., a technology firm dedicated to protecting the value of food, to transform almond processing byproducts into renewable energy. This partnership marks a significant step towards a more sustainable future for both the almond industry and California’s ambitious climate goals.
Divert’s advanced technologies and sustainable infrastructure will enable Blue Diamond to convert low-value almond byproducts, traditionally considered waste, into a valuable resource. These byproducts will be transformed at Divert’s Integrated Diversion & Energy Facility in Turlock, California, into two beneficial outputs: renewable energy to power local homes and businesses, and soil amendment that returns valuable nutrients to farmland, supporting further food growth.
This collaboration builds upon Blue Diamond’s longstanding commitment to sustainability. For decades, the company has innovated to utilize all parts of the almond, leading to the creation of popular products like almond flour, almond oil, and almond protein powder. The partnership with Divert extends this commitment, finding a new purpose for almond processing byproducts, minimizing waste, and contributing to a circular economy.
“We are proud to join forces with a company like Blue Diamond Growers that shares our mission and commitment to sustainability,” said Ryan Begin, CEO and co-founder of Divert. “The organic byproducts from food processing have tremendous value that can be converted into renewable energy to power our communities. With California being the largest food manufacturer in the U.S., there is a real opportunity for the state to adopt the technologies and infrastructure for food processing that will have a positive impact on the climate crisis. We applaud Blue Diamond for being at the forefront of the industry in implementing solutions to better our world.”
Dan Sonke, Head of Sustainability at Blue Diamond Growers, emphasizes the importance of this partnership: “Blue Diamond’s long history of furthering the use of almonds and almond byproducts is an important part of our sustainability story and why our almonds have a record of very low waste. This partnership with Divert is a way to continue our legacy of putting resources to their best and highest value for our farmer-owners and community.”
Divert’s state-of-the-art facility in Turlock, operational this year, will process 100,000 tons of wasted food annually from food manufacturers and other companies. It will generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 3,000 homes each year, contributing to California’s ambitious goal of achieving net-zero carbon pollution by 2045. The facility will also support California food manufacturers and retailers in complying with organic waste requirements outlined in Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383), which encourages the diversion of food waste from landfills and promotes the use of anaerobic digestion for renewable energy production.
This partnership between Blue Diamond and Divert showcases the potential of innovative solutions to address the challenges of food waste and climate change. It highlights the value of collaboration across industries to build a more sustainable future, where resources are maximized and the environment is protected.
