Arable farmers across the UK will grow an estimated 7,000 tonnes of 'regenerative barley' for the Carlsberg Group this year.
The announcement by the multinational brewing firm is part of its transition toward 100% regenerative barley in the UK by the year 2031.
The Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) and the Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) have announced they have contracted 23 farmers to help reach the goal.
CMBC, which was formed out of a joint venture between Carlsberg UK and Marston's Plc in 2020, has committed to 100% regenerative barley for Carlsberg Danish Pilsner by 2027, and for all UK brands by 2031.
Partnering with agriculture consultancy Ceres Rural, a regenerative protocol has been developed while considering the specific requirements for UK farmers.
Alice Andrew, associate partner at Ceres Rural said: “Agricultural systems vary hugely across the world due to climate, soil type, crops grown, scale and technology – therefore adapting the approach across markets is essential to success.
"Government and industry support for farmers will help scale these practices – from expert advice and facilitating peer-to–peer learning to gather local data to give more farmers confidence to adapt new practices.”
Jonathan Lane, managing director UK at ADM added: “We work with farmers... to expand regenerative agriculture as part of our collective endeavour to reduce carbon and make our food system more sustainable.
"We have years of experience of supporting farmers in their transition to regenerative agriculture and understand the importance of creating value for participants across the value chains in which we operate.”
The Carlsberg Group has also announced similar regenerative targets for France and Finland.
In France, 45 farmers are supplying traceable 'responsible barley', and the 1664 brand has committed to use this for 100% of the barley in its Blonde brews by 2026.
