California almond growers get to vote on whether to keep their marketing rules

The US Department of Agriculture is asking California almond growers if they want to continue their current marketing order. This order sets rules for how almonds are handled and marketed, and growers vote on it every few years.

Marketing orders like this one allow a specific agricultural industry to collectively manage things like quality standards, research, and promotion. If growers vote to discontinue it, they would lose the ability to coordinate these efforts as an industry. This could change how California almonds compete in the global market.