Carlsberg Denmark prepares its first beer with regeneratively grown raw materials

As part of its sustainability strategy, Together Towards ZERO and Beyond, Carlsberg Group has committed to sourcing all raw materials according to regenerative principles by 2040. This transition will benefit both climate and the environment.

The first Danish example of this transition will be seen in the new year, as Carlsberg Denmark has just purchased malting barley grown according to regenerative principles. These principles include no- or low-tillage cultivation, soil covered for 95% of the year, at least three crops on the same plot over five harvest seasons and avoiding overuse of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides by using the minimum required by the crop. The purchase was made in connection with this year's harvest from 100 hectares across two farms in Zealand.

The parties expect to deliver up to 500 tonnes of malt to Carlsberg's breweries in Copenhagen and Fredericia. This means up to 3.3 million litres of beer with regeneratively grown malting barley will be produced.

A portion of the malting barley will be used for a special edition of Carlsberg brewed with 100 per cent regeneratively grown malting barley, which will be produced in limited quantities and available in 2025. The remaining portion will become part of the well-known Carlsberg Pilsner, which will eventually be brewed with 100 per cent regeneratively grown raw materials. The regenerative malting barley has the exact same quality standards and flavour profile as conventional malting barley, so consumers will not taste a difference.

As a key element of its sustainability strategy, Carlsberg Group has committed to transitioning its global production to 100 per cent regenerative raw materials by 2040. The first products with regenerative raw materials have already been developed at several Carlsberg Group breweries in the UK, France, and Finland. Now, it's Denmark's turn.

"At Carlsberg, we have chosen to focus on raw materials grown using regenerative methods to deliver on our ambitious sustainability strategy. Around 24 per cent of Carlsberg's Danish CO2e emissions come from agriculture, which supplies the raw materials for our various products. We, therefore, see great potential in converting to regenerative agriculture to reduce our CO2e emissions and to contribute positively to biodiversity. At the same time, regenerative agriculture also contributes to greater resilience to drought and precipitation,' says Peter Haahr Nielsen, CEO of Carlsberg Denmark

"We are excited to develop our first regenerative brew in Denmark so we can gain our first experiences with production, quality control and marketing of regeneratively grown beer. Denmark's market for products grown using regenerative methods is not very well developed, but it holds great potential as food companies implement a green transition. We at Carlsberg want to contribute positively to this development, 'continues Peter Haahr Nielsen.

DLG supplies the regeneratively grown malting barley for malting at Viking Malt and then for brewing at Carlsberg. As there is no official standard for regenerative raw materials and cultivation methods, Carlsberg has engaged the agriculture consultancy firm Agrovi, which has helped to develop Carlsberg's specific requirements for regenerative cultivation in a Danish context. Close collaboration across the entire value chain is crucial to further develop regenerative cultivation in Denmark.

"There is a huge business potential for regenerative crops, which we believe is an important part of the transformation that agriculture is facing. We are now taking the first small but important steps towards marketing products grown according to common principles. The next step is to get more food companies on board who can see the same added value as Carlsberg and Viking Malt. If we are to accelerate the development, we must also find buyers for regeneratively grown bread wheat, rapeseed, and grain oats so that plant growers can convert their entire crop production and thus create a strong raw material base,' says Bøje Kjær, Executive Vice President of DLG Denmark.

"It is part of Viking Malt's purpose to explore and actively support how malting barley and malt can be made much more sustainably together with the agricultural sector, its representatives and our customers. The development of regenerative agriculture is a key element in fulfilling this objective. We are working intensively within this area in our company, where we also develop reporting and verification tools, says Kasper Madsen, CEO of Viking Malt.