The Scotch whisky producer partners with Scottish barley growers, fostering sharing and collaboration to reduce its carbon footprint and help future-proof the industry
Chivas Brothers, the Pernod Ricard business dedicated to Scotch whisky and makers of Chivas Regal and Aberlour, today announces a new agriculture programme supporting sustainable farming practices among Scottish barley growers represented by Bairds Malt and Scotgrain.
The pilot programme is a collaboration between Chivas Brothers, Bairds Malt, malt producer for the brewing and distilling industry in the UK and internationally, and Scotgrain, the leading Agricultural Merchant covering supply of arable inputs, agronomy, procurement & marketing of grains, oilseeds and pulses.
The partnership has been established with a view to working collaboratively to facilitate and further the continuous improvement on farm, and to help future-proof the livelihoods of farmers in regional Scottish communities. It is also intended to help secure the supply of barley – a critical ingredient in the whisky making process – and reduce Chivas Brothers’ indirect carbon footprint.
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Roughly a third of Chivas Brothers’ carbon footprint comes from the growing and processing of its agricultural raw materials – including the manufacturing of fertiliser, production of barley and malting.
Chivas Brothers is one of the biggest purchasers of malted barley in Scotland – the majority of which it sources from Bairds Malt – underscoring the significance of this project and Chivas Brothers’ responsibility to the industry to invest in sustainability trials, research and information transfer.
The pilot programme, named the ‘Dalmunach Growers Pilot Group’, will run over a three to five-year period and is initially comprised of eight farmers who have voluntarily elected to be a part of the first on-farm trial. In addition to carbon emissions reduction, trials will cover various approaches both to improvements in soil health – to create a more resilient growing process – and biodiversity, from fertiliser use and cover-cropping to wildflower strips.
Ronald Daalmans, Environmental Sustainability Manager at Chivas Brothers commented, “Establishing partnerships with our growers represents a critical moment in Chivas Brothers’ sustainability journey. The ongoing impact of climate change means our growers are having to adapt their practices – and many are faced with tough decisions regarding sustainable practices because it is cost prohibitive to implement new techniques without certainty of how they’ll affect crops through the growing cycle. Working together makes us stronger – not only to reduce carbon emissions at pace, but also to provide invaluable insights that can benefit the farming community at large.”
Victoria Buxton, Agronomist and Farm Business Manager at Bairds Malt added, “We’re incredibly excited to have partnered with Chivas Brothers to establish a programme with our growers that looks at sustainable farming practices through on-farm carbon reduction, soil health and biodiversity. To have the support of Chivas Brothers reinforces that climate change is an issue that affects the whole supply chain and we’re all equally invested.”
Learnings and insights will be shared with the full cohort of roughly sixty farmers under the Bairds Malt and Scotgrain communities at regular Growers Group meetings, fostering knowledge-sharing for the betterment of the programme and each other’s operations.
ENDS
About Chivas Brothers
Chivas Brothers is the Pernod Ricard business dedicated to Scotch whisky. Its award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered single malt and blended Scotch whisky brands, including Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet. As the world’s No.2 Scotch whisky producer which exports to 150 markets globally, Chivas Brothers and its 1,800-strong team are rooted in communities across Scotland and around the globe, sharing a proud history and the ambition to open up to shape the future of whisky. Chivas Brothers was awarded ‘Scotch Whisky Producer of the Year’ at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2021 and the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 International Spirits Challenge. For more information about Chivas Brothers, please visit www.chivasbrothers.com.
About Bairds Malt
Bairds Malt is a leading UK maltster, producing over 285,000mt of malt each year. From its four UK malting locations, Bairds produces a range of over 25 different malts, destined for the distilling and brewing industry. Bairds UK maltings became a part of Malteries Soufflet, following the acquisition of United Malt by Malteries Soufflet in November 2023.
About Malteries Soufflet
Malteries Soufflet, with the acquisition of United Malt Group, is now the world’s largest malting company with an annual production capacity of 3.7 million tons of malt through 41 facilities in 20 countries, serving both industrial and craft brewers and distillers. Malteries Soufflet’s majority stakeholder is InVivo, with minority shareholders KKR, Bpifrance and Crédit Agricole Group. Malteries Soufflet has one malting site in Burton upon Trent, England that from summer 2024 will produce 145,000t of malt per annum.
About InVivo Group
InVivo Group is one of Europe’s leading agricultural groups with revenues of nearly €12 billion, with more than half generated in France, and a workforce of 15,000 employees, including more than 10,000 in France. With operations in 35 countries, it has more than 100 industrial sites, including 63 in France. The Group operates along the entire value chain, from farm to fork, as a leader in each of its four major strategic business lines: international grain trade, agriculture, agri-food (Malting, Milling/ingredients/bakery, Wine), gardening and food distribution. A global cross-functional centre for innovative and digital solutions completes the structure to accelerate the transformation of these activities towards the 3rd agricultural revolution.
For more information: invivo-group.com / Twitter @InVivo Group
About Scotgrain
Scotgrain is a leading Agricultural Merchant covering supply of arable inputs, agronomy, procurement and marketing of grains, oilseeds and pulses. As a part of the Bairds Malt family, it plays a critical part in ensuring quality supply of Scotland’s best malting barley to many of the world’s leading distillers and brewers, while also ensuring guaranteed supply chain for growers throughout Scotland. Scotgrain activities cover the whole scope of farm activities supplying seeds, fertilisers, agrochemicals, animal feeds, agricultural lime and the procurement and marketing of all grains, oilseeds and pulses.
