June 4, 2025.—The Viver Cooperative signs a contract with Engrupo this insurance policy to provide comprehensive coverage and financial stability for its almond-producing members.

The Viver Cooperative has taken out Spain’s first cooperative insurance policy for almond trees in collaboration with Engrupo, the insurance brokerage for cooperatives in the Valencian Community. This innovative policy offers comprehensive protection and greater financial stability for almond producers, strengthening the cooperative model and ensuring a steady income for its members in the face of adverse weather conditions.

The decision by the Viver Cooperative to purchase the first group insurance policy for almond trees, despite the inherent challenges and high claims rate associated with insurance for this crop, demonstrates a deep commitment to the well-being of its members and a strategic vision for long-term sustainability through collective risk management.

A total of 54 members of the cooperative are already benefiting from this joint initiative, which has secured 669,000 kg of almonds and 7,000 saplings for this season, valued at 900,300 euros. This initiative addresses the growing need for robust solutions to the challenges that climate change poses to agriculture, offering more resilient and sustainable insurance models and consolidating the cooperative sector as a driver of adaptation and innovation.

A Step Forward for Almond Tree Stability

Almond trees are a crop of vital economic importance in Spain, where the area planted with almond trees reached 766,071 hectares in 2024, according to provisional data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, representing a 4.9% increase compared to 2019. Specifically in the Valencian Community, 87,321 hectares of almond trees were cultivated in 2024, accounting for 11.4% of the total area and ranking fourth among the autonomous communities that produce almonds, behind Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha, and Aragon. On a more local scale, Viver has also seen its almond orchards grow, increasing from 781 hectares in 2002, 83% of which were rain-fed, to 922 hectares in 2021, with 53% of the area now under irrigation.

This widespread expansion underscores its importance in the Spanish agricultural landscape, where almond trees already account for 83% of the total insured production of nuts. However, despite its growth, the almond sector is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events, with significant drops in almond production that have led to a high claims rate for this type of insurance.

Future Outlook

The collective nature of the association’s insurance policy aligns with the cooperative’s founding principles, positioning it as an innovative and responsible leader within the agri-food sector. “This policy is not just insurance; it is a statement of our firm commitment to the stability and future of our almond orchards. Being pioneers in Spain with this association-based model reinforces our vision of protecting our members’ production against growing climate challenges, thereby ensuring their peace of mind and the continuity of their farms,” says Fernando Marco, director of the Cooperativa de Viver.

The issuance of this first collective insurance policy for almond trees not only benefits the members of the Viver Cooperative but also sets a vital precedent for the Spanish almond sector as a whole, demonstrating the effectiveness of collective risk management. By providing a stable and comprehensive insurance framework, it enables continued investment and growth in the sector, even as climate challenges intensify. This pioneering model is expected to inspire other cooperatives and producers to adopt similar solutions, contributing to the widespread adoption and strengthening of agricultural insurance as a fundamental tool for the sustainability of agriculture.