It is a superfood with numerous health benefits , but our enthusiasm for almond milk is causing a storm in the US . Almond growers in California are at the centre of a row over water usage during one of the worst droughts in decades . The state , which supplies more than three-quarters of the world 's $ 4.93billion ( £3.3bn ) almond market , is in its fourth year of drought . Scroll down for videos . Dry days : Homes with swimming pools are seen in the Palm Springs area , California , as the state enters its fourth year of severe drought . This has also seen local residents attack the bottled water industry , after it was revealed that several companies have been 'taking advantage of poor government oversight to deplete mountain streams and watersheds , ' The Guardian reports . A campaign singles out Nestle as the main villain , after an investigation by a local newspaper found that the company has been sourcing water from some of the driest areas in the state using expired permits . An online petition demanding that the company seizes production of bottled water in California with immediate effect has garnered more than 150,000 signatures . Despite the ongoing drought , almond growers , who require a gallon of water to produce a single nut , are still planting trees . The industry 's growth is being driven by the public 's clamour for a food with benefits for the heart , the bones and metabolism . Still going : Almond growers in California are at the centre of a row over water usage during one of the worst droughts in decades . Almonds are high in potassium , calcium , vitamin E and magnesium , and are thought to reduce cholesterol and decrease hunger without leading to weight gain . A gardener works on a golf course in La Quinta , California , as residents campaign against the bottled drinks industry and almond growers in a bid to stop the drought . Almonds are high in potassium , calcium , vitamin E and magnesium , and are thought to reduce cholesterol and decrease hunger without leading to weight gain . Unlike cows ' milk , almond milk – which is made from ground nuts and water – has no cholesterol or lactose , and being a plant food , it is often consumed by vegans , vegetarians , and others forgoing dairy . David Cameron is said to be a fan , and Sainsbury 's reported a 181 per cent sales increase in the milk last year . But in California , there is growing anger that while most people are facing water rations , the almond industry has been left to expand its orchards and guzzle all the water it wants . Tom Stokely , of the California Water Impact Network , told the Sunday Telegraph : 'There has been a huge expansion of almonds . As we speak , there are yet more almond orchards being planted . In many cases the farmers are planting them in areas of low water supply so groundwater is being over-drafted . 'They 're doing it because there are such huge profits . Now they 're asking the rest of us to give up our water so they can stay in business . ' Unlike cows ' milk , almond milk – which is made from ground nuts and water – has no cholesterol or lactose , and being a plant food , it is often consumed by vegans , vegetarians , and others forgoing dairy . But the almond industry insists it needs the resources . Brad Gleason , a grower in Fresno County , said : ' I 'm proud to be a farmer of almonds . We produce something real and healthy that contributes mightily to the economy of California . 'Some of the old-timers still remember when this stretch of Fresno County belonged to the horned toad , jack rabbit and tumbleweed . Demonising us , and what we grow , is no way to meet the challenge . We 're not the bad guys . ' Governor Jerry Brown also defended his decision to exempt agriculture from the water consumption cap , saying : 'Agriculture is an important pillar of California . ' Pineapple lovers are facing hefty hikes in the price of their favourite fruit , according to a report yesterday . Pineapple prices have soared to their highest level for almost three years as a result of poor weather in Costa Rica , which has led to plummeting supplies . Trade magazine The Grocer said that while retail prices of many fruit and vegetable lines had fallen over recent months , the average price of a loose pineapple in the biggest UK supermarkets has risen to $ 2.41 ( £1.61 ) – up from $ 2.21 ( £1.48 ) in March . Costa Rica is the world 's biggest exporter of pineapples , accounting for 90 per cent of the global fresh supply , but recent cold and wet weather had hit this year 's harvest .
California supplies more than three-quarters of world 's almond market . But the state is now in its fourth year of drought and there is growing anger . Growers - who need a gallon of water to make a nut - are still planting trees . Score: 7