Carlsberg announces launch of Fertile soil, the first beer in Denmark made with malted barley grown 100% according to the principles of regenerative agriculture. The novelty will be officially presented during the Folkemødet, the Danish political festival, and represents the first step in an ambitious path towards more sustainable production.
"Fertile soil will be the symbol of a much larger movement for Carlsberg,” said Peter Haahr Nielsen, CEO of Carlsberg Denmark. “Our goal is to have all the group’s beer brewed exclusively with regenerative grains by 2040.”
Regenerative agriculture, which still lacks a globally agreed definition, is based on practices such as crop rotation, cover crops and reduced tillage. Carlsberg has developed its own standards in collaboration with Agrovi and international consultants.
The brewery has already purchased 500 tonnes of regenerative malt – enough for 3 million litres of beer – and has just signed a new contract with Fuglsang, Viking Malt and DLG for the supply of 14.800 tonnes in 2025. This volume will allow the brewery to produce more than 100 million litres of beer, equivalent to 40% of Carlsberg Denmark’s annual needs.
“Feedstock accounts for about 40% of our emissions. This initiative allows us to reduce them while improving soil health and biodiversity,” added Haahr Nielsen. “We want to support the development of regenerative agriculture, not only in Denmark but around the world.”
