The fruit and nut sectors face many unique challenges. The articles in this theme elaborate these issues and focus on how growers can cope with these problems.

Noncitrus tree fruit is a critical part of American agriculture, but the industry faces ongoing challenges and structural changes. In this article, we describe how falling production and acreage, consolidation of production, labor supply issues, changing demand patterns, and international trade have shaped the sector’s current situation.

The implementation of policies to mitigate the problematic of asset fixity should vary depending upon the characteristics of the agricultural production. When identifying targeted crops for policies, tree fruits stand out from annual row crops, due to the considerable investment and uncertainty surrounding a longer time to recover the investment.

The U.S. citrus industry has been experiencing many challenges: pests and disease, labor woes, adverse weather, and foreign competition. Unless these problems are resolved, the downward trend in production will continue. To prevent this trend, continued support for R&D, removal of diseased citrus groves, and support for growers are needed.

Government programs aim to increase per capita intake of fruits for Americans. California, the largest fruit growing state, faces many issues to meet the growing demand for fruits. This article summarizes some of the main issues that California fruit growers endure, and recommends possible assistance programs for policy makers.

The demand for tree nuts is increasing rapidly worldwide. Nutritional benefits of tree nuts, expanding use of tree nuts in various food items, and promotional campaigns boost this growth. This article discusses policies to eliminate issues associated with increasing demand and create a sustainable supply in the United States.