The production of walnuts is widely spread across the globe, with key countries like USA, China, India and France sharing big chunks of the international market and an increasing presence of Eastern European countries like Ukraine and Moldavia. Walnut trees are mostly grown in orchards. When ready for harvest, walnuts are mechanically shaken off the trees and, shortly after, swept from the orchard floor by mechanical harvesters. Once collected, they are taken to

processing plants where they will be dried, cleaned and sorted. Walnuts will then be either packed to be sold in shell, or cracked, cleaned once again and packed to be sold as kernels.Walnuts are consumed as a snack, used as an ingredient in the bakery and confectionery industry, and used in the preparation of desserts, salads and many others. Walnut oil, obtained by cold pressing of ground kernels, is used in the soap industry amongst other minor applications.