The most recent issue of American Pistachio Growers News notes that the organization’s executive director, Richard Matoian, was quoted in the May issue of National Geographic magazine, the notable issue with the picture of a baby on the cover and the headline: “This Baby Will Live To Be 120*”
The short article appeared with a picture of “The Green Nut,” as it’s called by the APG, and a chart showing the impressive, steady growth of U.S. exports compared with the wild swings of Iranian shipments. Here is the text of the story by Catherine Zuckerman, which carried the headline, “Going Nuts.”
People want pistachios. Native to the Middle East, the heart-healthy nut has gone global, especially over the past decade, as consumption rose more than 50 percent. Iran has long dominated the market, but when a 2008 frost ravaged its crop, farmers in fertile California saw a chance to reach rising demand.
Politics also plays a role. As sanctions have squeezed Iranian exports for 30 years, America has ramped up production, to a new high last year, according to the USDA. “The impact was pronounced when U.S. farmers planted in the ‘70s and ‘80s,” says the American Pistachio Growers’ Richard Matoian. Concerns over Iran’s nuclear program mean places like western Europe, China, and Israel – which cracks open the most pistachios per capita – are looking more to the U.S. to feed their appetites.