Whisky giant Chivas Brothers has announced a new agriculture programme supporting sustainable agriculture practices among Scottish barley growers represented by Bairds Malt and Scotgrain.
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 part of the first on-farm trial.
It 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 and reduce Chivas Brothers’ indirect carbon footprint.
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.
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.
Ronald Daalmans, Environmental Sustainability Manager at Chivas Brothers said: “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.”
Victoria Buxton, Agronomist and Farm Business Manager at Bairds Malt added: “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 roughly sixty farmers under the Bairds Malt and Scotgrain communities at regular growers group meetings.
Chivas Brothers is one of the biggest purchasers of malted barley in Scotland.
The majority is sourced from Bairds Malt to makes brands such as Chivas Regal and Aberlour.
