Chivas Brothers has joined a new sustainable agriculture programme, in partnership with Bairds Malt and Scotgrain. The programme aims to support Scottish farmers to reduce the barley-growing industry’s carbon footprint.

The focus of the programme will be the Scottish barley growers represented by Bairds Malt, a malt producer for the UK brewing distilling industry from which Chivas Brothers sources the majority of its malted barley, and Scotgrain, an agricultural merchant which covers supply, procurement, and marketing for the industry.

The programme will run as a pilot with eight farmers over a three to five-year period. Known as the Dalmunach Growers Pilot Group, the farmers have volunteered to participate in the on-farm trial.

The trials will aim to improve soil health and biodiversity, as well as reduce carbon emissions.

Chivas Brothers has acknowledged the significant contribution that growing and processing agricultural raw materials has to its overall sustainability — the processes make up about a third of its carbon footprint.

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.”

As the pilot progresses, insights will be shared with the wider community of farmers represented by Bairds Malt and Scotgrain.