Nuts
Nuts Recruitment & Executive Search
Specialist retained search across global nut trading, sourcing, procurement, processing and commercial markets.
There is no single global nut market.
Almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts and macadamias each have their own producing regions, crop cycles, quality systems and customer bases. A trader who knows Californian almonds intimately may have little overlap with someone buying raw cashew nuts in West Africa or selling hazelnut kernels from Türkiye into European manufacturers.
That fragmentation is part of what makes the sector interesting.
Imperium works across international tree nut and edible nut markets, supporting retained searches in physical trading, sourcing, procurement, commercial sales, processing, ingredients, brokerage, operations and senior leadership.
Unlike grains or many energy commodities, most nut markets are not organised around a single deep futures benchmark. Price discovery remains heavily physical. Crop expectations, origin availability, kernel yield, size, grade, quality, inventories and the behaviour of processors and buyers all matter.
The customer base is equally varied. Nuts move into retail packs and snack brands, but also into confectionery, bakery, ingredients, nut butters, plant-based products and industrial food manufacturing.
For recruitment, simply knowing that somebody has worked in “nuts” is rarely enough. The product, origin, specification and customer network behind their experience usually tell us far more.
Understanding the Global Nuts Market
Nut markets are physical, fragmented and highly sensitive to crop, quality and origin.
A large harvest does not automatically mean plentiful supply of every grade.
Product may be traded in-shell, shelled or further processed. Some buyers require whole kernels of a particular size or appearance; others want pieces, meal, paste or ingredients for manufacturing. Quality can change what one crop is worth to several different customers.
Physical Nut Trading & Sourcing
International nut traders connect growers, handlers, processors, exporters and buyers across a highly physical market.
Commercial books can cover almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias and other edible nuts, either individually or as part of a broader portfolio.
Some traders buy close to origin. Others specialise in destination markets, food manufacturers or particular customer channels.
Without a universal screen price to lean on, relationships and knowledge of physical availability carry considerable weight.
Origins, Harvests & Crop Risk
The geography changes completely from one nut to another.
California is central to almonds and pistachios. Türkiye dominates the commercial hazelnut market. Cashew supply begins largely across West Africa and Asia, while walnuts, macadamias and other nuts have their own distinct production centres.
Weather, flowering, pollination, water availability and harvest conditions can alter both volume and quality.
A problem in one producing region cannot always be replaced easily by supply from somewhere else.
In-Shell, Kernels & Specifications
How a nut is presented can be almost as important as which nut it is.
Markets distinguish between in-shell product and kernels, while specifications can extend into size, colour, moisture, defects, broken percentages, variety and processing standard.
Cashew buyers may trade recognised kernel grades. Almond customers can differentiate by variety and size. Pistachio and walnut markets value appearance and kernel characteristics differently depending on the end use.
Those details are not administrative. They determine where the product can be sold and what a buyer will pay.
Processing, Roasting & Ingredients
A considerable part of the value chain begins after harvest.
Shelling, sorting, grading, roasting, blanching, chopping and further processing turn agricultural production into products suitable for retail and industrial customers.
Nuts also enter the ingredients market as pieces, flours, meals, pastes, butters and other processed forms.
Commercial talent can therefore sit somewhere between commodity trading and food ingredients, particularly where manufacturers require tight specifications and consistent year-round supply.
Procurement, Distribution & Consumer Demand
Large food groups, roasters, snack companies and ingredient manufacturers need reliable access to products whose harvest is seasonal but whose consumption is not.
Procurement teams may buy across several origins, manage forward requirements, qualify suppliers and balance price against quality and availability.
Distributors perform another role again, supplying smaller manufacturers, foodservice customers and retail markets from regional inventories. A strong buyer needs to understand both the crop and what the customer is actually prepared to substitute.
Logistics, Food Safety & Trade Operations
Nuts are high-value food products, so getting the logistics wrong can be expensive.
Containers may travel long distances between origin, processing centres and consuming markets. Storage conditions, moisture, documentation and delivery timing all matter, while food safety and residue requirements can determine whether product is accepted at destination.
Issues such as aflatoxin risk, traceability, import standards and customer specifications sit alongside freight, inventory and working capital in the physical trade.
There Is No Price for “Nuts”
The category sounds simple until you try to trade it.
An almond kernel, raw cashew nut, Turkish hazelnut and in-shell pistachio have almost nothing in common commercially beyond the supermarket aisle where a consumer may eventually find them.
Each has its own crop, conversion economics, grades, routes, processors and buyers.
That makes this a market where specialist knowledge compounds over time. People remember who understands the origin, who knows the processors, who can judge quality and who can still find product when the obvious supply has disappeared.
For nut traders and buyers, the crop is only the beginning. What comes out of the shell is what the customer ultimately pays for.
The Global Nuts Market
Global tree nut production is spread across products, but individual crops remain highly concentrated by origin.
The category looks broad on a supermarket shelf. Commercially, it is a collection of separate physical markets.
International Nut & Dried Fruit Council data put global tree nut production at 6.02 million tonnes in 2024/25, using kernel weight for most products and in-shell weight for pistachios. Almonds remained the largest category, but walnuts, cashews and pistachios each represented a substantial share of world supply. Source: International Nut & Dried Fruit Council
The geography underneath those numbers is even more concentrated. The United States accounted for around 34% of global tree nut production, followed by Türkiye at 14% and China at 13%. Which country matters most, however, changes dramatically once the market is broken down by product.
World Tree Nut Production Mix
| Tree Nut | Share of Global Production |
|---|---|
| Almonds | 27% |
| Pistachios | 20% |
| Walnuts | 19% |
| Cashews | 19% |
| Hazelnuts | 10% |
| Pecans | 2% |
| Macadamias | 1% |
| Pine Nuts | 1% |
| Brazil Nuts | <1% |
A Global Category Built on Very Local Crops
Six million tonnes sounds diversified. The underlying supply often is not.
California alone has an extraordinary influence over the almond market and is also central to pistachios and walnuts. Türkiye occupies a similarly outsized position in hazelnuts. Cashews begin with another map entirely, with raw nut production heavily associated with West Africa before substantial volumes move to processing centres in countries such as Vietnam and India.
That concentration makes weather intensely commercial.
A frost in Türkiye is not simply bad news for farmers if much of the world’s hazelnut supply is exposed to the same event. Water conditions in California can matter to several nut markets simultaneously. Alternate-bearing cycles can cause pistachio output to swing sharply between seasons: USDA forecast US pistachio production at a record 713,000 tonnes in 2025/26, around 43% above the previous season.
Then there is the question of what is actually being traded.
Raw cashew nuts can leave Africa for shelling elsewhere before kernels enter another international trade flow. Almonds, walnuts and pistachios can move either in-shell or shelled. Hazelnuts may be sold as whole kernels or disappear quickly into chocolate, confectionery and ingredient supply chains.
The result is a market where a country can be crucial as a grower, processor, trader or consumer without occupying all four positions.
And unlike a commodity with one liquid global benchmark, those physical differences cannot simply be flattened into a screen price. Variety, crop year, origin, sizing, kernel yield and specification remain commercially meaningful long after the headline harvest number has been published.
6.0 Million Tonnes
2026/27 Tree Nut Production
Early INC forecasts presented in May 2026 put the coming global tree nut crop at approximately 6 million tonnes, broadly stable overall. Beneath that headline, hazelnut production was expected to rebound strongly while almonds continued to grow and cashews softened slightly.
34%
Produced in the United States
The United States accounted for approximately one third of global tree nut production in 2024/25, driven particularly by its enormous almond, pistachio and walnut industries.
5.05 Million Tonnes
Global Tree Nut Exports
INC estimates around 5.05 million tonnes of tree nut exports in 2024, expressed on a kernel-equivalent basis except for pistachios. The United States remained the leading exporting country.
47%
Consumed in Asia
Asia accounted for approximately 47% of global tree nut consumption in 2024, compared with 30% for Europe and 16% for North America. The largest consumption category was almonds, followed by walnuts, cashews and pistachios.
Major Nut Companies & Market Participants
The commercial nut market is shaped by growers, processors, merchants and ingredient specialists rather than one dominant trading model.
There is no nut equivalent of the ABCD grain houses.
The companies that matter in almonds are not necessarily the companies that dominate cashews, hazelnuts or pistachios. Some own orchards, others buy at origin, some process kernels for industrial customers, and others sit much closer to retail and branded food.
That variety is one reason the recruitment market is so fragmented.
Who Are the Major Companies in Global Nut Trading and Processing?
There is no reliable single ranking of the world’s largest nut trading companies because businesses report different products, volumes and stages of the supply chain.
Important international participants include ofi, Blue Diamond Growers, Wonderful Pistachios, Select Harvests, Acomo, Borges BAIN, Besana and John B. Sanfilippo & Son. Together they illustrate how global nut markets move from orchards and origin sourcing through processing, ingredients, industrial supply and consumer channels.
Origin, Processing & Global Supply
ofi
ofi operates one of the broadest international nut platforms, covering almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, peanuts and pistachios. Its network reaches major origins across the United States, Africa, Türkiye, Asia and Australia, while its processing capabilities extend from whole and roasted nuts into butters, pastes, flours, oils and other ingredients. The company describes itself as a world-leading nut supplier and is particularly significant in cashews, hazelnuts and almonds.
Blue Diamond Growers
Blue Diamond is a grower-owned California almond cooperative with nearly 3,000 grower members and one of the largest almond processing operations in the world. It markets almonds internationally in both consumer and industrial forms, including whole kernels, pieces, flour and other ingredients, and has spent decades developing export markets for California almonds.
Wonderful Pistachios
Wonderful Pistachios is a major force in the US pistachio industry and describes itself as the world’s largest grower and processor of pistachios. Its operations are rooted in California’s Central Valley and connect large-scale farming and processing with international consumer and B2B markets.
Select Harvests
Australia’s Select Harvests is a vertically integrated almond business spanning orchards, processing and international marketing. Its 2025 crop reached approximately 24,900 tonnes, while continued investment in processing and value-added capacity reflects the increasing importance of Australia as a counter-seasonal almond origin alongside California.
Trading, Ingredients & Destination Markets
Acomo
Amsterdam Commodities, or Acomo, operates across plant-based food ingredients through businesses including Catz International, Tovano, King Nuts & Raaphorst and Delinuts. Its Spices and Nuts division sources, trades, processes, blends, roasts and distributes products internationally, giving the group a distinctly merchant-led presence compared with vertically integrated growers and processors. Acomo sources more than 600 products and distributes across over 100 countries.
Borges BAIN
Borges Agricultural & Industrial Nuts has traded and processed nuts for more than 130 years. The Spanish business supplies almonds, walnuts, pistachios and other nuts into private-label and industrial food markets, with processing, packaging, logistics and ingredient development serving confectionery, bakery, snacks, plant-based foods and other applications.
Besana
Italian-headquartered Besana sources nuts and other food ingredients from approved suppliers around the world and operates processing facilities in Italy and the UK. Its portfolio spans almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, macadamias and other nuts, with activity across raw materials, processing, snacks and customer-specific products.
John B. Sanfilippo & Son
John B. Sanfilippo & Son is a major US processor, marketer and distributor of nuts and dried fruit. Alongside private-label and commercial ingredient supply, it owns brands including Fisher, Orchard Valley Harvest and Squirrel Brand, giving the company exposure across retail, food manufacturing and contract processing.
Source: Company annual reports, investor materials and official corporate information from ofi, Blue Diamond Growers, Wonderful Pistachios, Select Harvests, Acomo, Borges BAIN, Besana and John B. Sanfilippo & Son. Company activities, figures and market descriptions reflect the latest publicly available information at time of publication.
Market context: Companies are included as examples of significant participants in the global nuts market. Inclusion does not imply a commercial relationship with or endorsement of Imperium Commodity Search.
Nut Trading Is Built Around Origin Knowledge
This is not a market where one global benchmark tells everyone what the product is worth.
An almond buyer may be watching California shipments, Australian crop development and specific varietal premiums. A hazelnut trader can be heavily exposed to one Turkish harvest. Cashew businesses may need to understand raw nut availability in West Africa as well as processing economics in Vietnam or India.
Then the product changes again after processing.
A confectionery manufacturer may not be buying “hazelnuts” in the same commercial sense as a wholesaler buying whole kernels. One may require a particular roast, particle size or paste specification; another is trading physical availability and grade.
That creates specialist talent pools around origin sourcing, physical trading, procurement, processing, ingredients and commercial sales. The people who know those markets properly tend to know them through years of crops, suppliers and customers rather than through a screen.
In nuts, the commercial edge often sits in knowing exactly what is available, where it is, and who will actually buy it.
The crop grows quietly. The market cracks it open.
Edible Nuts Talent Across a Global Supply Chain
Nut careers follow the crop from origin through processing, trading and end-use markets.
The geography changes sharply by product.
Almonds and pistachios pull talent towards California and Australia. Hazelnuts bring Türkiye into focus. Cashews connect West African origins with major processing centres in Vietnam and India. Destination markets in Europe, North America and Asia then create a separate layer of procurement, ingredients and commercial expertise.
Producing & Origin Markets
United States, Türkiye, Vietnam, India, Côte d’Ivoire, Australia, China, South Africa and other key producing regions
These markets sit closest to the crop.
Roles can span grower relations, physical sourcing, origination, processing, quality and export sales. In some products, origin knowledge is especially valuable because the commercial market is concentrated around a relatively small number of growing regions.
Cashews are a good example, with raw nut supply and kernel processing often taking place in different countries before finished product reaches international buyers.
Trading, Processing & Ingredient Hubs
Amsterdam, London, Hamburg, Dubai, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and other international commercial centres
Nut trading does not concentrate around one exchange or one financial hub.
Instead, commercial talent tends to sit where origin sourcing, processing, ingredients, distribution and international customer networks come together.
The Netherlands and Germany remain important European food-trading and ingredient centres, while Singapore and Dubai support wider regional commodity flows. Vietnam has become particularly significant through its role in cashew processing and export.
Consumer, Manufacturing & Procurement Markets
Europe, United States, China, India, Middle East and other major food-manufacturing regions
Large consuming markets support procurement, ingredient sales, category management and commercial leadership across confectionery, bakery, snacks, nut butters, plant-based foods and wider manufacturing.
These roles often require a different skill set from origin trading.
The strongest people understand not only what the crop is worth, but which grade, format and specification a manufacturer actually needs.
The Crop and the Customer Are Often Thousands of Miles Apart
A hazelnut may begin in Türkiye and end up inside a European confectionery line. Raw cashew nuts can leave West Africa, be processed in Asia and then move again to customers elsewhere. California almonds may be sold directly into markets across Europe, India, China or the Middle East.
That separation creates distinct talent pools at each stage.
For retained search, the most useful geography is often the one that explains where someone has sourced, where they have sold and which part of the product journey they actually know.
Who We Search for Across Nuts
Nut recruitment is shaped by product, origin, specification and customer network.
This is one of those markets where a broad job title can hide a very narrow specialism.
Someone who has spent years buying almonds out of California may have little overlap with a cashew trader focused on West Africa and Vietnam. A hazelnut commercial manager selling into confectionery customers brings another network again.
For Imperium, the strongest search briefs usually start with which nut, which origin, which customers and which point in the supply chain.
Nut Trading & Origin Sourcing
Physical traders and sourcing specialists work closest to crop availability, processors and exporters.
Mandates may focus on a single product such as almonds, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts, or cover broader portfolios across tree nuts and edible nuts. Supplier relationships, crop knowledge and a feel for quality can be just as valuable as outright trading experience.
Typical searches include:
Nut Traders · Almond Traders · Cashew Traders · Pistachio Traders · Hazelnut Traders · Walnut Traders · Origin Sourcing Managers · Physical Commodity Traders
Procurement, Ingredients & Commercial Sales
Large food manufacturers, roasters, confectionery businesses and ingredient companies need people who can secure the right product rather than simply the cheapest product.
Buyers may be managing whole kernels, pieces, pastes, flours or processed ingredients, often across several origins and specifications. Commercial teams then sell those products into customers with very different technical and supply requirements.
Commercial appointments can include:
Nut Procurement Managers · Commodity Buyers · Ingredient Sales Managers · Key Account Managers · Commercial Managers · Category Managers · Business Development Managers
Processing, Quality & Supply Chain
A significant amount of commercial value is created between the crop and the customer.
Shelling, grading, sorting, roasting, blanching, packing and further processing all require people who understand both product quality and operational reality. Food safety, traceability and customer specifications can be commercially critical, particularly when supply moves through several countries before reaching the end user.
Relevant profiles include:
Processing Managers · Supply Chain Managers · Quality Managers · Operations Managers · Export Managers · Logistics Managers · Technical Commercial Managers · Food Safety Leaders
Commercial Leadership & Market Development
Senior hires often revolve around building a stronger position in one part of the market.
That may mean developing a new origin, expanding a trading portfolio, strengthening industrial ingredient sales or building customer coverage in a new geography. Experience tends to be most valuable when it comes with an established network and a credible understanding of the product itself.
Leadership searches include:
Head of Nuts · Head of Trading · Commercial Director · Procurement Director · Trading Director · Regional Head · Managing Director · Business Unit Director
Specialist Knowledge Is Difficult to Shortcut
Nut markets reward people who have lived through several crops.
They know which processors are reliable, how quality can change between seasons, which buyers can substitute one specification for another and where supply tends to tighten first.
That experience rarely appears neatly in a job title.
For executive search, the useful network is usually the one built around a specific product, origin and customer base rather than the wider food industry.
Specialist Search Across the Nuts Market
Retained search across nut trading, sourcing, ingredients and specialist commercial markets.
Imperium Commodity Search works selectively within each commodity market, allowing us to map the relevant talent pool properly and approach people whose experience may never appear through conventional recruitment channels.
Across nuts, that can mean mandates in physical trading, origin sourcing, procurement, ingredients, processing, commercial sales, supply chain and senior leadership.
Product knowledge matters enormously. Almonds, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts and walnuts each have their own origins, processors, specifications and customer networks, so the right search normally starts with far more detail than simply “nuts experience”.
For Clients
Looking for a specialist or senior hire across nut trading, sourcing, procurement, ingredients, processing or commercial leadership?
We can build the search around the product, origin, customer base and commercial experience that genuinely define the role.
For Professionals
We do not carry a high volume of vacancies within any one commodity market. But if your background is in almonds, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, nut trading, sourcing, procurement, ingredients, processing or commercial leadership, we are happy to have a confidential conversation where your experience may be relevant to current or future retained work.
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