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Irish Distillers
Irish Distillers’ scheme aims to incentivise farmers to grow barley in a sustainable manner, reducing their carbon footprint and promoting biodiversity on their farms.
t Irish Distillers, we
Atransform raw materials into world class Irish whiskeys that are enjoyed by consumers globally. Our brands include Jameson, Powers, The Spot Range, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare and Method and Madness.
Our commitment to sustainability is embedded in our culture, our identity, and most importantly, is embodied by all of our employees. Our mission is to mobilise a new generation to use their ideas to drive transformational change in the workplace and the world. We believe that we can, individually and collectively, make a positive diff erence wherever we choose to invest our eff orts. We are fully committed to working in harmony with the environment, our suppliers, employees and our communities in order to create both economic and social value.
Our sustainability initiatives focus on reducing our environmental impact and promoting sustainable agriculture. We have outlined ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions and drive sustainability throughout our supply chain as part of our 2030 Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap.
QUALITY BARLEY We value the quality Irish barley used to make our whiskeys and place a particular emphasis on sourcing, certifi cation and traceability. For this reason, in 2020, Irish Distillers launched a tailored sustainability programme for barley growers which will support tillage farmers in delivering further environmental benefi ts on their farms.
The measures in the Sustainable Green Spring Barley Scheme scheme aim to help growers reduce their carbon footprint and promote biodiversity on their farms. As an incentive an additional payment of €15 per/tonne is payable directly to participating growers who meet the environmental and sustainability requirements outlined in the scheme.
ESSENTIAL MEASURES The 2020 programme includes six essential requirements in the areas of farm safety, quality standards, the use of certifi ed seed, membership of the Irish Grain Assurance Scheme (IGAS), nutrient management and glyphosate limitation. Growers are required to participate in carbon footprint and biodiversity surveys as requested by Irish Distillers. As part of the programme, in Year One, farmers participate in a survey with a view to collating data and identifying further actions which could assist with achieving the objectives of the initiative.
There are also six optional
measures mainly focused on biodiversity. The grower is required to adopt a minimum of two of these measures, and the grower is required to provide records of meeting the programme requirements. This documentation is then submitted to the grain merchant for auditing by Irish Distillers. Growers are also requested to participate in farm audits.
The Sustainable Green Spring Barley Scheme aims to support the longterm viability of the spring barley sector in Ireland by incentivising farmers to deliver environmental benefi ts. This scheme represents a long term commitment from Irish Distillers to promoting sustainable agriculture and specifi cally the longterm viability of the spring barley sector in Ireland.
