Heineken marks first large-scale regenerative barley harvest in Europe
Image credit: Malteurop
Today, global brewer Heineken announced its
first harvest of barley from a large-scale regenerative-agriculture model —
thanks to its work with French cooperative-farming and food-processing group
Vivescia and its Transitions
program, along with Vivescia’s malt
subsidiary, Malteurop. The
collaboration focuses on an outcome-based farming approach that aims to protect
and improve soil health, biodiversity, climate and water resources while
supporting farming business development.
Unique upstream and downstream cooperation
This large-scale regenerative-ag program represents a unique cooperation between
the plant and grain sectors —upstream and downstream partners. This year, in
time for the 2024 harvest, about 200 Vivescia member-farmers in northeastern
France (representing approximately 25,000 ha of land) joined Transitions. By
2025, 500 farmers are expected to be involved; by 2026, 1,000 or more (up to
100,000 ha of land). Heineken counts on purchasing most of the barley production
from participating farmers via its suppliers, aligned with its ambition to
reduce its scope 3 FLAG (forest, land and agriculture) emissions by
30 percent by 2030. By removing financial and technical barriers, this program
will help the growth of regenerative farming and introduce a groundbreaking
model for sustainable grain production.
Hervé le Faou, Senior
Director Global Procurement at Heineken: "Our collaboration with Vivescia Group
and Malteurop and its subsidiaries contributes to Heineken’s ambition to reduce
its scope 3 FLAG emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Agriculture represents
approximately 21 percent of our total carbon footprint. By investing in
regenerative-agriculture practices, we aim to not only reduce our environmental
impact but also to strengthen the resilience of our supply chain for the
future."
Three key principles:
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It’s the first large-scale, industry-led transition program in regenerative
agriculture in Europe.
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It operates at the farm and crop-rotation level, with suppliers and
companies supporting and funding farmers' transitions.
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It’s Heineken’s first holistic, output-based program in regenerative ag —
covering indicators and measurements for carbon, soil, water, air,
biodiversity and farmers' livelihoods.
Vivescia Group believes that achieving a large-scale agri-food transition needs
collaboration and cost-sharing among all stakeholders, and underscored the
significance of collective action and the involvement of prominent consumer
brands such as Heineken in driving meaningful change at scale.
Vivescia’s Transitions program is a collective effort that brings together
upstream and downstream plant and grain industries in a forward-thinking program
with an ambitious and innovative agronomic approach and financing model. The aim
is, by 2026, to help nearly 1,000 farmers in northeast France transition to
regenerative, farming methods. 200 Vivescia cooperative members have committed
to the project for three years, starting with the 2024 harvest. The Transitions
program is laureate of the “Resilience and agri-food capacities 2030” call for
projects and is supported by the French government as part of the France 2030
investment
plan.
“The word ‘transition’ means ‘going to the other side’ or ‘going from one state
to another.’ Our new frontier is that of a decarbonized, productive agricultural
model that protects biodiversity and is more resilient for farmers,” said
Vivescia Group President Christoph
Büren. “Everything
begins in the fields, with science! Tomorrow’s farming systems are being built
today to protect the climate and biodiversity, thanks to our experience on the
ground combined with cutting-edge research and digital innovation. With Vivescia
Cooperative’s team, we support and guide farmers towards this new frontier with
a solid agronomic approach, personalized support on the ground and robust
funding. The transition must take place at the level of every farm.
“With Olivier Hautin, CEO of
Malteurop, I would like to warmly thank Heineken for their trust and interest in
our program. Together, we will continue to scale up Transitions — a program that
is naturally destined to be replicated and adapted outside Vivescia’s
cooperative heartland and beyond France, in other parts of the world,” Büren
added. “We share a common vision and ambition: to be a model for our value
chains and to become a laboratory for transitions in agriculture.”
The volume of regeneratively produced barley in this first harvest will be
allocated to the French market, representing Heineken’s ambition to supporting
local economies while fostering a globally connected supply chain.
Heineken’s Brew a Better World
ambitions focus on three areas: raising the bar on environmental sustainability,
accelerating social sustainability and championing responsible consumption. The
collaboration with VIVESCIA and Malteurop contributes to the brewer’s ambitions
to reduce its scope 3 FLAG emissions by 30 percent by 2030 and to reach net zero
across its value chain by 2040.
innocent Drinks unveils recipients of its £1m regenerative-ag fund
Image credit: Pixley Berries
Meanwhile, innocent Drinks has
announced the 11 grant recipients of its Farmer Innovation Fund (FIF) for
2024 — which awards growers financial support for projects working to help
safeguard the long-term supply of fruit and veg.
As a business passionate about bringing the goodness of fruit and veg to people,
innocent has granted funding to suppliers spanning 10 countries, growing 11
unique ingredients. Their projects address key agricultural challenges including
soil health, biodiversity, climate change and water use.
The announcement follows the recent relaunch of the
fund
in which innocent increased available funding to create a grant pot of £1
million for projects that support the transition to low-carbon farming, higher
biodiversity and fairer farming practices. With over half of innocent’s carbon
footprint coming from its ingredients, investing in climate-resilient farming
practices will be key to achieving a 50 percent reduction of its scope 3
emissions by 2030.
2024 FiF winners
Four of this year’s recipients are previous winners of the Farmer Innovation
Fund, representing a commitment to invest in long-term partnerships that deliver
tangible outcomes.
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Agrarias Manchegas, Spain (grapes): A 2022 FiF winner, Agrarias
Manchegas plans to transform into a fully
functioning smart farm to enhance soil management, crop health, water usage, and
energy efficiency.
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Time 4 Bee (part of the Doehler Foundation in Poland), Poland (apples):
Another 2022 FiF winner, Time 4 Bee will continue its plans to improve
agricultural sustainability, increase biodiversity, and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Piotr
Podoba at Time 4 Bee
commented: “Our project looks to create a significant reduction in the carbon
footprint of apples as well as biodiversity improvements. We hope to have an
influence on a portion of Poland’s farmers beyond only individual farms.
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Frutilight, Costa Rica (pineapple): Another 2022 FiF winner,
Frutilight is launching a project
that will establish a biofertilizer plant specifically for pineapple
cultivation.
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Pixley Berries, United Kingdom (blackcurrants): A 2023 FiF winner, Pixley
Berries will use bio-stimulant and a sensory
device to look after blackcurrant crops over the next three years.
“Regenerative farming is a learning curve, and being a winner for the second
year running means we can advance our work to identify pragmatic approaches with
deliverable benefits to blackcurrant growing and other crops,” said Pixley
Berries Managing Director Anna
Ralph. “By combining
biostimulants, measuring chlorophyll, microbials and focusing on minimum
cultivations we’re pioneering a new approach. Through this, we hope to develop a
revitalized agronomy fit for our times — both adapting to and mitigating climate
change.”
There are also seven first-time recipients:
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Aspis, Greece (peaches): Aspis will conduct a
lifecycle assessment of peaches, assessing and evaluating the CO2 footprint
of each production stage of peach puree.
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GNT Group; Netherlands, Belgium and Germany (carrots):
GNT will work with
select farmers to create plots of wildflowers, herbs and plants that attract
pollinators and increase biodiversity.
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Iberfruta, Spain (peaches): Iberfruta
will trial irrigation adjustments and install sensors to evaluate the
physiological and agronomic behavior of peach trees under deficit irrigation
strategies.
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Mother Dairy, India (mangos): Mother
Dairy will conduct a baseline report and
educate farmers about the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate
change and their livelihood.
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Sensus, Netherlands (chicory root fiber): Sensus aims for 20-30 percent
crop yield improvement by trialing seed-embedding technology to stimulate
uniform crop growth, with the hope of reducing seed waste and soil
disruption
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Sol Organica, Nicaragua (passion fruit and dragon fruit): Sol
Organica will implement the conversion of
food waste into
compost
to reduce costs, sequester carbon and reduce methane emissions.
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SVZ, Spain (strawberries): SVZ will implement a
system to optimize water and fertilizer consumption, reducing GHGs and
improving climate resilience in turn.
“We’re on a mission to help people live well through the delicious goodness of
fruit & veg,” said innocent CEO Nick
Canney. “Our Farmer
Innovation Fund enables us to build meaningful partnerships with our suppliers
to help make sure we can keep enjoying fruit & veg for years to come. This
year’s winners are embarking on some truly innovative projects that show real
potential for playing a part in the future of farming. I’m proud that we’re able
to support them in delivering sustainable and healthy diets.”
innocent's continued focus on investing in its supply chains will enhance its
sustainable practices by restoring and revitalising land used by its farmers to
grow fruit and veg. The company will monitor its funded projects and share the
learnings with the wider industry to help further safeguard the long-term supply
of fruit and vegetables.
Rainforest Alliance, Mirova partner to finance regenerative ag and sustainable land management in the Global South
Image credit: Rainforest Alliance/Burneo Export SA
Rounding out this week's news, Rainforest Alliance has
announced a strategic partnership with Mirova, an
affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers dedicated to sustainable investing.
Together, they aim to scale up locally led and nature-based solutions unlocking
benefits for climate, biodiversity and local communities. Leveraging Mirova’s
second investment strategy dedicated to sustainable land use, which aims to
raise €350 million, they will implement targeted impact-investing initiatives
across Africa, Latin America and Asia.
By expanding access to Rainforest Alliance
certification
and Mirova’s financing solutions in these regions, the partnership aims to
contribute to bridging the nature-based solutions financing gap — which
requires investments to triple from current
levels
to reach $542 billion per year by 2030. It will also propel the Rainforest
Alliance’s mission, accelerating both the speed and scale of its impact to reach
100 million farmers and workers by 2030.
“Mirova and the Rainforest Alliance share a common vision: To accelerate the
transition from nature-dependent economic value chains to a more sustainable
model which improves the incomes and rights of local communities, it is
essential to foster collective intelligence and collaboration among all
stakeholders,” said Anne-Laurence
Roucher, Deputy CEO and
Head of Private Equity and Natural Capital of Mirova. “This partnership will
allow more developers of nature-positive
projects
to access high-quality certification and funding to grow their business.”
Highlights:
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Collaborative efforts: Starting with Mirova’s strategy dedicated to
sustainable land use, this collaboration will facilitate the process of
identifying investment opportunities for promoting locally led and
nature-based
solutions
— such as regenerative agriculture and agroforestry — drawing on the
Rainforest Alliance’s expertise and presence on the ground.
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Shared belief in nature-based solutions: Regenerative agriculture
enhances soil health, carbon sequestration and water retention; while
agroforestry integrates trees into agricultural systems, promoting
biodiversity and providing extra income for farmers. These methods harness
nature’s benefits to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystems, mitigate climate
change and strengthen community resilience.
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Geographical focus: The partnership will concentrate its efforts on
vital sourcing landscapes in Africa, Latin America and Asia — where the need
for sustainable impact investment is most acute. As partners, Mirova will
also collaborate directly with project holders to assess their eligibility
for certification, while the Rainforest Alliance will help promote Mirova’s
financing solutions to farmers already enrolled in its program.
The partnership is rooted in a mutual dedication to promoting sustainability
across food and agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience.
With 35 years of expertise, the Rainforest Alliance forges alliances among
farmers, citizens, companies and investors — increasing the uptake of
sustainable and regenerative practices across more than 60 countries. Meanwhile,
B Corp-certified Mirova has participated in financing more than 70 projects and
companies that contribute to the protection and restoration of nature in
emerging economies and in developed markets.
“We need partnerships like this to accelerate the shift of agriculture and
forestry to net-positive at a meaningful speed and scale,” said Rainforest
Alliance CEO Santiago
Gowland. “By connecting impact
investors like Mirova with the Rainforest Alliance’s proven on-the-ground
impact, we can mobilize private capital for a just, regenerative transition.
Together, we can help address the green finance gap and provide farmers with the
capital they need to adopt more sustainable and regenerative practices, enabling
both them and the land to thrive.”
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Sustainable Brands Staff
Published Jun 7, 2024 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST