{
  "id": 7501748,
  "title": "Iran and America: A tale of two lands and the pistachio between them",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/iran-and-america-a-tale-of-two-lands-and-the-pistachio-between-them",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-15T07:48:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DW English (Top Stories)",
    "slug": "dw-english-top-stories",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/iran-and-america-a-tale-of-two-lands-and-the-pistachio-between-them/a-79224310?maca=en-rss-en-top-1022-xml-mrss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In southeastern Iran, pistachio orchard owner Armin has noticed a disturbing trend in his crops. Hand-width cracks have appeared in his orchard, causing the ground to sink and vital water to disappear. Armin's generation has been cultivating pistachios, known for their edible green seeds, but climate change and groundwater extraction have put his livelihood at risk. The region has become one of the fastest-sinking areas in Iran, with the ground dropping by up to 37 centimeters annually. A similar situation exists in California, where some pistachio farmers are also experiencing sinking ground and groundwater depletion. The link between Iranian and Californian pistachio farmers dates back to the 1960s when US farmers started cultivating the Iranian variety called Kerman. California has since become the world's largest producer, but subsidence is a growing concern. Both regions rely heavily on groundwater for irrigation, leading to land subsidence as the water table drops. While California has implemented the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act to manage groundwater, the same cannot be said for Iran, where awareness of groundwater management and subsidence is still limited.",
  "summary": "The pistachios sold across the US have a surprising history: California's trees trace their roots to Iran. Now both regions face the same threat: their farmland is sinking as groundwater disappears.",
  "key_points": [
    "Armin's pistachio orchard shows cracks and sinking ground in Iran",
    "Similar subsidence issues in California pistachio farms",
    "Both regions depend on groundwater, facing land subsidence"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "DW News",
        "title": "Iran and America: A tale of two lands and the pistachio between them",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/iran-and-america-a-tale-of-two-lands-and-the-pistachio-between-them-7505584",
        "published": "2026-09-15T07:48:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}