Diageo has announced the launch of a new regenerative agriculture programme for the development of Scotch Whiskey.
The three year programme for whiskey, which will include Johnnie Walker, Singleton and Talisker, will focus on reducing emissions from growing barley and wheat.
The programme will see the drinks brand collaborate with agricultural advisors Scottish Agroconomy and SAC Consulting; together they will work with around 20 farms in barley and wheat sourcing regions across Scotland.
The farms will work with the technical partners to share learnings and identify suitable local regenerative agricultural interventions. Following the research, the programme will commission research trials to ensure that the overall approach is science led and that findings can be shared across the wider industry.
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“Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to expanding our regenerative agriculture pilots across more of our key market categories,” said Diageo GB managing director Nuno Teles.
“We know we need to farm in a more sustainable way to protect the land around us, increase the sustainability of our business and enhance farmer livelihoods. We’re looking forward to seeing the results and sharing these with the wider Scotch whisky industry”.
Diageo global head of regenerative agriculture Vanessa Maire added: “It was wonderful to be in Scotland to help build resilience across farming systems and ensure long term availability of quality barley and wheat by using regenerative techniques, to ultimately achieve our common goal of building a sustainable future for our industry.”
The move comes amid warnings from scientists that the climate crisis could make the taste of beer worse, with concern that temperature rises could impact the quality and quantity of hops.
