Building sustainable supply chains for ingredients in brewing

As consumers increase their scrutiny of what they eat and drink, they're increasingly looking to hear from brands and companies about how they've sourced their ingredients.

Brewers are responding.

A blank canvas: fonio supply

As new grains emerge on the brewing scene, brewers see the opportunity to create new models for sourcing them in the most sustainable, collaborative and ethical way.

Fonio is an ancient West African grain that holds potential to become a new superstar in brewing, thanks to its strong resilience to varying climactic situations and ability to thrive in less fertile soils.

The grain is only just emerging onto the brewing scene – and UK ethical brewery Brewgooder sees this as an opportunity to re-think conventional sourcing of brewing ingredients and create a more responsible, sustainable system.

This month, Brewgooder is launching its fonio brew: one in a series of collaborations spearheaded by the US’ Brooklyn Brewery.​

But Brewgooder sees the fonio not only as a way of innovating in brewing: but as a way of rethinking the way ingredients are sourced.

The brewery previously had to source fonio from different suppliers, bringing with it numerous challenges and inefficiencies.

Unhappy with this model, the brewer decided to create its own, better model.

It has set up the world’s first Fairtrade-certified brewing supply chain for fonio: championing its ‘game-changing’ potential to put farming communities in West Africa on a level footing with other nations.

The pioneering model was set up in just six months: with the B-Corp certified brewer working with Fairtrade and fonio farming cooperatives in Guinea.

It has been set up so farmers are paid a fairer price for their work and grain, while fostering sustainable and equitable economic growth for the communities.

So far, 67 farms have signed up, with two thirds of those joining since Fairtrade certification.

What’s more, Brewgooder has made the new supply chain accessible to all: calling it 'Open Grain' and inviting any UK brewer or business to tap into the model.

“What we love about this supply chain and what makes it different and unique for fonio as a grain and the brewing industry in general is that it seeks to include the grain and the people who grow it in a fair way, and it is one that can be tapped into by any other brewery through the Open Grain initiative,” explained Alan Mahon, Brewgooder founder.

“This gives our industry not just the chance to be on the front foot with a climate resilient grain, but to do so in a way that is, most importantly, founded on principles of inclusion and fairness for those growing it.

"Prior to this we sourced fonio from different sources, inefficiently and with numerous challenges. Now we have an end-to-end supply chain that is not just more efficient and robust but is fair and transparent.”

If the fonio model is proven to be a success, it could inspire brewers to rethink how they source ingredients on a wider basis, said Mahon.

“This is an experiment in what is possible in brewing and what can be possible through brewing. Whether its fonio, or other grains or hops, every time new ingredient is added into this industry, the creativity of brewers produces new, and wonderful things. With this new supply chain, it's hopefully a small but meaningful route in for other brewers to think through their own sourcing principles and how they bring about the world they want to see and not just the beer they want to brew.”

It’s hoped that hundreds of farmers and the communities that surround them could benefit from the new model in the future.

“We have strong reason to believe we can grow this supply chain 100x beyond our current demand footprint. This won't be achieved overnight, and it certainly won't be achieved alone, and that's why we want to encourage others to join us in 'Open Grain' so that we can work together to achieve this scale.”

Carlsberg: working at scale

But other brewers are already working at scale. One of these is Carlsberg: the Danish brewing giant has already pledged to ensure that all raw ingredients are sourced and produced using regenerative agricultural practices by 2040.

That covers all ingredients coming from different crops: such as barley, wheat, rice and sugar - a big task.

"Even though our ambitions and targets are high, we are confident that we can reach our goals," Carlsberg's director of raw materials, Jacob Andersen, told us. 

"We have already begun the journey in several markets.

"For instance, in 2021, KOFF’s Christmas Beer in Finland was our first brew to be made with regenerative barley, and KOFF has pioneered our support for farmers in adopting regenerative practices.

"In the UK, our team contracted with 23 farmers to farm regeneratively grown barley last year to have 100% of the barley needed for the UK Carlsberg Pilsner brew from regenerative sources by 2027. 

"Last but not least, we are working with farmers and a supplier on regenerative malt for our 1664 brand in France."

One of the most important areas for Carlsberg is barley, which makes up around 60% of raw materials by weight, and so that's where the brewer is currently dedicating the most effort.

And 2025 will be a 'year of acceleration' which draws on learnings from the projects above.

"Important learnings for us have been that every farmer is different, and soils need different practices to stay healthy, so expecting to reach a 100% common definition of regenerative agriculture will be very difficult," said Anderson.

"However, the principles of minimum tillage, crop rotation, cover crops and minimum synthetic input will continue to be our standpoint."

What both Carlsberg and Brewgooder have both realized is that whatever the project is - and whether it's big or small - collaboration is key.

"Collaboration with other stakeholders is crucial for achieving our ambitious targets," said Anderson.

"We recognize that transforming the industry requires a collective effort, so our strategic partnerships are vital. These partnerships allow us to share knowledge, resources, and innovations, amplifying the impact of our efforts beyond what we could achieve alone.

"At Carlsberg, we collaborate with various stakeholders, including suppliers, industry peers and NGOs. These collaborations enable us to address shared challenges more effectively, such as climate change and resource scarcity. For instance, we are part of several industry initiatives promoting regenerative agriculture, reducing carbon emissions, and enhancing the resilience of supply chains."