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​Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture to the Brewing Supply Chain: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Water and Soil Stewardship, and Economic Profits

Regenerative agriculture is associated with practices that support a holistic approach to restore, create, and sustain organic soils and ecosystem services that are required to produce agricultural commodities. Common regenerative agricultural practices relevant to barley malt production include the use of cover crops, minimal disturbance of the soil, crop rotation, and minimal or no synthetic fertilizer input. By engaging in regenerative practices to actively build the organic soil layer with essential nutrients and harnessing ecosystem services, farmers can produce a viable yield of crops with reduced greenhouse gas emissions and water and fertilizer input—all of which provide an increased return on investment. However, financial incentives and technical assistance are needed to help farmers transition to regenerative practices and cover the up-front costs of the transition. Breweries and maltsters can support this transition by providing financial support to their barley malt farmers, invest in research supporting regenerative agriculture techniques, market products that use these grains to consumers, and partner with agricultural cooperatives and research institutes to offer farmers technical support.

​Keywords: farming, GHG emissions, regenerative agriculture, supply chain, sustainability ​