The Native Nut: Investigating the North Carolina Pecan Industry (2015)

Undergraduate: Rachel Atkinson

Faculty Advisor: Rudi Colloredo-Mansfeld
Department: Interdisciplinary Studies

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Pecan trees are native to much of the Southeast, and grow well in Eastern North Carolina, where many farmers struggle in the post-tobacco economy. Over the past decade, the global market for US pecans has been transformed by a dramatic rise in demand from China. This study, conducted during the summer of 2013, investigated North Carolina¿¿¿s pecan industry to assess the extent of its participation in the global pecan trade, and the viability of pecan growing in NC's struggling agricultural regions.
The research took an ethnographic approach, consisting of semi-structured interviews with Eastern NC pecan growers. Interview questions pertained to practical orchard operations, as well as to the cultural and personal significance of the pecan to the grower. The study found that NC growers are not participating in international pecan trade. However, because many growers sell nationally via internet sales, they have benefitted greatly from globally increased pecan prices.