The strategic change of Edeka focuses on its new product line “Herzstücke”, which now uses European almonds instead of the traditional ones from California. The German group's magazine, under the titles "Almonds made in Europe" and "Almonds from Europe: simple and sustainable", explains that the cultivation in Spain and Portugal guarantees significantly shorter transport routes and, therefore, a potentially lower CO₂ footprint when compared to the American origin.
In addition to the logistical and climatic benefits, Edeka emphasizes the advantage of the strict environmental and social standards that govern production within the European Union. This, according to the chain, “promotes transparency and strengthens consumer confidence”.
The Spanish almond sector is a global giant, with Spain being the third largest producer of this fruit in the world.
This decision has a significant impact on the German nuts market, as Germany imported a total of 101.000 tons of almonds in 2023, of which 66% came from the United States y only 19% of Spain.
FEPEX, which brings together key players such as the Spanish Nuts Association (AFSE) and ASOCIAFRUIT (representing more than 38.000 hectares of irrigated almond production), has expressed its strong support for this initiative. The federation emphasizes that the measure contributes to “To highlight the value of community production of nuts, especially almonds”, a production characterized by its quality and compliance with the demanding community regulations in labor, social and environmental matters.
The Spanish almond sector is a global giant, being Spain, the third largest producer in the world of this fruit. In the 2024/2025 campaign, the national production of almonds in shell has reached 375.000 tonnes .
The agricultural collective He hopes that other major European supermarket chains will adopt a similar line., which would be a crucial step for strengthening EU food sovereignty. FEPEX points out that, although the European Commission has announced this line of action on multiple occasions, “does not translate into concrete actions” like the one taken by Edeka.
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