Asahi Invests in Future of Sustainable Barley Farming
Author: Communications Team
Date: 23 04 2026 15:21
- Asahi UK partners with Boortmalt and British farmers to support adoption of regenerative agriculture practices for barley – a core beer ingredient
- The collaboration aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions from barley, as part of Asahi UK’s ongoing work to reduce the environmental impacts of its ingredients*
- It applies to barley production equivalent to 100% of pale malt used by Asahi in the UK, where pale malt is one of the most prevalent varieties of malted barley used in much loved British beers, such as Fuller’s London Pride
Asahi UK is launching a new collaboration with malt supplier Boortmalt to support the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices on British barley farms. This will cover barley production equivalent to 100% of the pale malt used to brew Asahi’s local British beers, such as Fuller’s London Pride, Meantime Prime Pale, and Dark Star Hophead, delivered on a mass-balance basis.
At the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, home of all Asahi’s local beer production, pale malt accounts for ~90% of the brewery’s annual malt use (3,050 metric tonnes in 2026). Starting from January 2026, this initiative aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions from barley* and forms part of Asahi UK’s ongoing work to understand and address the environmental impact of its ingredients.
Participating farms will introduce regenerative practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, crop rotation and reduction in artificial fertiliser use - which can enhance soil fertility and structure, leading to better crop yields and water conservation, and help boost biodiversity on farms.
The programme is delivered via Cefetra Ecosystem Services and Soil Capital, who will carry out the measurement, reporting and verification of emissions reductions using a combination of detailed farm-level input data and soil samples. This programme is also designed to align with the SAI Regenerating Together Framework, when it is formally launched later this year.
This builds from Asahi UK’s work to-date on beer’s other key ingredient – hops. This includes supporting two pioneering PhD research projects alongside other partners through FOR HOPS UK, and raising awareness of the challenges British hop farmers are facing from climate change with Brentford FC through Bee a Hop Grower with Pride.
Isabel Ashman, Sustainability Manager, Asahi UK, said:
“Barley is one of our most important ingredients, and we recognise the role we can play – together with our suppliers and farmers – in building more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems. This partnership is about working side‑by‑side, learning and investing to reduce emissions in our supply chain while strengthening the future of British barley.”
Oliver Rubinstein, Sustainable Agriculture Manager UK & Ireland, Boortmalt, said:
“Regenerative agriculture offers a solution to so many of the challenges facing British malting barley growers right now, from extreme weather right through to economic volatility. The summer drought and high input costs over the last 12 months have reinforced why this is needed. We are delighted to be collaborating with Asahi UK to deliver regenerative agriculture across our grower base and invest in sustainable barley sourcing.”
For more information please contact:
Jon Fuller
Head of Corporate Communications, Asahi UK
Mobile: 07713 568 603
Email:jon.fuller@asahibeer.co.uk