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Heineken UK is offering financial support to farmers who adopt regenerative farming methods as part of a major programme aimed at making its barley supply more sustainable and secure.
The brewer says it will pay farmers a premium for growing barley using practices that can improve soil health, protect water resources and support biodiversity.
The programme is being carried out with maltsters Muntons and Boortmalt, barley merchant Cefetra and farming specialist Soil Capital.
Heineken says the programme is designed not only to reduce the environmental impact of farming but also to protect the long-term supply of British barley, a key ingredient in beer production.
The company brews more than 1.3 billion pints every year in the UK and supplies about 80% of pubs across the country. More than 95% of the beer it sells is brewed locally.
Because of this, Heineken says a strong and reliable supply of British barley is important to the future of its business.
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The company also plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its value chain by 2040 under its Brew a Better World sustainability programme.
Heineken UK expects almost half of its malted barley supply in 2027 to come from farms using regenerative agriculture.
The barley will be used in several of its major beer brands, including Heineken, Cruzcampo, Birra Moretti, John Smith’s, Foster’s and Amstel.
The first harvest from the programme will take place in 2026, with the barley expected to enter the brewing process and reach consumers in 2027.
Farmers taking part will use methods such as reducing soil disturbance, planting cover crops and using wider crop rotations.
Heineken says farmers will be allowed to adapt these practices to suit their individual farms instead of following one fixed approach.
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The programme covers key barley-growing areas in England and Scotland, including East Anglia, the East Midlands, South East England, South West England, Fife and the Scottish Borders.
The scheme is open to farms of different sizes, with no minimum land or production requirement.
Heineken said some farmers involved have less than 20 hectares of barley, while others grow nearly 500 hectares.
Farmers will receive financial support based on their progress towards regenerative farming goals. They will also receive technical advice from specialists working on the programme.
Soil Capital will help farmers adopt the new practices and measure their results across more than 30 areas.
These include soil health, biodiversity and water management.
Soil Capital said independent measurement is important because farmers and businesses need reliable evidence that regenerative farming is producing real benefits. Heineken said the programme is also an opportunity to learn how regenerative agriculture can be expanded across its global operations.
The company has not set a target to source all of its malted barley from regenerative farms.
Instead, it wants to use the UK programme to understand what works on a large scale before considering similar projects in other countries.
Heineken said its 2027 goal should be seen as an important step rather than the final destination.
The company is also looking beyond carbon emissions. It wants to understand the effects of regenerative farming on soil quality, biodiversity, water use and crop yields.
