Sustainability news, opinion and discussion.

Scientists are working with a Victorian almond grower to trial an orchard redevelopment practice to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.  Whole orchard recycling is an established practice for orchard redevelopment in California Researchers overseeing an Australian trial want to quantify the impact it has on the carbon footprint of local almond orchards.  By incorporating the wood chips back into the soil, almond growers in the US are reporting better water-holding capacity and better nutrient uptake
When almond growers decide to redevelop part of their orchard, the trees are often removed and then burnt.  Merbein almond grower Neale Bennett was in the United States five years ago and saw the process in action.