Molson Coors Expands Better Barley, Better Beer Program to Improve Yield

(Credit: Molson Coors)

Molson Coors Brewing Company is preparing for the possibility of a decline in barley yields in coming years by helping barley growers adopt more sustainable practices. The company is installing weather stations and soil moisture probes across barley farms in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado as part of its efforts to help farmers future-proof their businesses and ensure its own future supply of the necessary grain.

Changing weather patterns and increasing droughts mean that barley growers are facing a potential decrease in barley yields of as much as 17% per year, according to a study in the Nature Research Journal. This could lead to an increase in beer prices of up to 15%. The Molson Coors Better Barley, Better Beer program is the company’s investment in making sure it will have a consistent, quality source of barley for the foreseeable future.

Molson Coors’ $20 million investment in the Better Barley, Better Beer program over the last 10 years has included:

Barley Variety Research

The company has invested in in-depth research into barley varieties to explore various beneficial properties of different strains. This work led to the development of Bill Coors 100 (BC100) – Molson Coors’ own irrigated barley cultivar – that was launched in 2016 as a malt barley that reduces the need for water and can offer up to 33% higher yields. The barley breeding program is helping farmers integrate more sustainable growing practices and grow a more successful crop, despite shifts in weather patterns and growing conditions.

This work contributes to the brewer’s 2025 goal of improving water efficiency in its agricultural supply chain and malting operations by 10%, the company says.

Sustainability Through Partnerships

In 2011, MillerCoors teamed with The Nature Conservancy to develop a Showcase Barley Valley in Silver Creek, Idaho, to explore techniques in irrigation efficiencies and create a body of research on tested practices that reduce risk for farmers. The brewer works with farmers to implement proven programs and tools, such as weather stations and soil moisture probes, which measure soil water content. Knowing how much water is already in the soil is crucial for helping farmers manage their irrigation systems and timings more effectively, ensuring no water is wasted. The weather stations also enable farmers to make more data driven decisions around planting and irrigation times.

Grower Direct Portal Enabling A Data Driven Approach

Molson Coors also offers a digital “Grower Direct Portal,” which enables farmers to collect precise data of agricultural best-management practices at the field level. This in turn allows Molson Coors to aggregate data and identify higher-level sustainability trends and opportunities.

To date, around 800 barley growers in the US are using the portal. The company’s UK-based Molson Coors Growers Group farmers participate in the country’s Red Tractor sustainability certification standard, which also tracks a number of sustainability indicators. Tracking the sustainability performance of growers contributes to the brewer’s goal of sourcing 100% of its barley and hops from sustainable suppliers in key growing regions by 2025, Molson Coors says.

Incentivizing Sustainable Farming

Molson Coors financially incentivizes its growers to be more sustainable by paying more per bushel weight. Farmers are paid more to align their growing practices with Molson Coors’ recommendations and show progress on reducing inputs on their farms (tracking water, energy, nitrogen, phosphorous, fertilizer, etc.). The program, launched in 2018, will help farmers lay the foundation for continuous improvement on several sustainability areas and reduce the overall environmental footprint of their crops.

“Without barley, we have no beer – it’s that simple,” says Bill Dempsey, Molson Coors’ Chief Procurement Officer. “Helping our growers future-proof their own businesses makes sense for ours. We’ve focused our efforts on bringing farmers on board our sustainability journey and helping them implement sustainable practices that are accessible, relevant and effective.”