For the pilot programme, Chivas Brothers has partnered with Bairds Malt (malt producer for the brewing and distilling industry) and Scotgrain (agricultural merchant), to facilitate and further the improvement on farms, and to help future-proof the livelihoods of farmers in regional Scottish communities.
It is also intended to help secure the supply of barley and reduce Chivas Brothers’ indirect carbon footprint.
The pilot programme, named the ‘Dalmunach Growers Pilot Group’, will run over a three to five-year period and initially comprises eight farmers who have voluntarily elected to be a part of the first on-farm trial and will cover various approaches to improvements in soil health and biodiversity.
Ronald Daalmans, environmental sustainability manager at Chivas Brothers, said: “The ongoing impact of climate change means our growers are having to adapt their practices and many are faced with tough decisions regarding sustainable practices, because it is cost prohibitive to implement new techniques without certainty of how they’ll affect crops through the growing cycle.
"Working together makes us stronger, not only to reduce carbon emissions at pace, but also to provide invaluable insights that can benefit the farming community at large,” Daalmans added.
