How Carlsberg Factors Regenerative Farming into Beer Brewing

Carlsberg, one of the world's most recognised brewers, is at the forefront of promoting regenerative farming in its native Denmark.

Working with agricultural cooperative DLG and malting company Viking Malt, the organisation is sourcing Danish malt barley grown using regenerative methods, taking a vital step towards its goal of sourcing all raw materials regeneratively by 2040.

Regenerative agriculture explained

Regenerative agriculture is a farming approach aimed at improving soil health, boosting biodiversity and enhancing water cycles while maintaining strong crop yields. For Carlsberg's barley producers, this involves adopting practices such as minimal tillage to reduce soil disruption, keeping soil covered for most of the year, rotating crops over five harvests and cutting down on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.

Carlsberg’s initial efforts in Denmark have shown early success. Its first regenerative barley harvest spanned 100 hectares across two farms in Zealand, the island home to Copenhagen. This yielded around 500 tonnes of malt, enough to produce approximately 3.3 million litres of beer. To put this into context, that’s more than half of Belgium's annual beer consumption.

The barley will be used to brew a limited-edition beer made entirely from regeneratively grown ingredients, slated for release in 2025. The remainder will gradually replace conventional barley in the Carlsberg Pilsner, further embedding sustainability into the company’s core product over time.

Why regenerative farming matters to Carlsberg

Peter Haahr Nielsen, CEO of Carlsberg Denmark, highlights the environmental significance of this move: "Around 24% of Carlsberg's Danish CO2-equivalent (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."

This project supports Carlsberg Group's global sustainability framework, 'Together Towards ZERO and Beyond', which targets reductions in carbon emissions, water waste, and environmental impact. Similar initiatives have already launched in the UK, France and Finland.

For Denmark, the adoption of regenerative farming represents a key milestone, applying this sustainable approach in Carlsberg’s home market.

Despite its benefits, regenerative farming faces hurdles, including the absence of an official standard for practices or materials. To address this, Carlsberg is working with Danish agricultural consultancy Agrovi to establish tailored guidelines.

Collaboration across the supply chain is central to this initiative, with DLG’s Executive Vice President, Bøje Kjær, commenting: "There is a huge business potential for regenerative crops, which we believe is an important part of the transformation that agriculture is facing.

"The next step is to get more food companies on board who can see the same added value as Carlsberg and Viking Malt."

Building resilience in agriculture

Beyond sustainability, regenerative farming offers practical benefits for resilience, especially as climate change increasingly impacts farmers and supply chains. By improving soil health and water retention, farms can better withstand weather extremes, ensuring a more stable supply of high-quality barley for brewing.

For consumers, Carlsberg ensures that taste remains uncompromised. Regenerative barley meets the same standards for quality and flavour as traditional barley, maintaining the consistency that drinkers expect.

As the project progresses, Carlsberg is keen to expand its regenerative practices and inspire broader adoption across the food and beverage sector.

Simon Boas Hoffmeyer, Carlsberg’s Senior Director of Sustainability and ESG, explains: "We need scale to increase impact. For this to happen, we need more value chain partners and crops to join the transition."

Carlsberg’s bold step forward signals a growing focus on sustainability and collaboration within Danish agriculture.

By aligning environmental goals with commercial strategies, the brewer hopes to not only reshape its supply chain but also influence wider industry practices for a more sustainable future.

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