Erik Stanek is a Senior Sustainability Specialist at Blue Diamond Growers, based in Sacramento, California. Blue Diamond, established in 1910, is a grower-owned cooperative and the world’s largest almond handler, exclusively growing California almonds. In his role, Erik oversees a $45 million USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant which assists growers in adopting climate-smart agricultural practices. In this role, he actively is working to develop and employ financial mechanisms which reward farmers for implementing climate-smart practices.
Erik holds a M.Sc. in Crop Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he published research on agroforestry in the United States. He has worked along the coffee supply chain with farmers, importers, roasters, and cafes in numerous roles, with a focus on generating value in the specialty coffee industry. He also has worked as a sustainability consultant supporting GHG accounting efforts for leading food and beverage CPG companies. With practical experience spanning the agricultural supply chain, Erik brings a pragmatic approach to aligning on-farm economic and environmental goals.