A Colorado-based project by Olander Farms, New Belgium Brewing, and Root Shoot Malting has successfully achieved carbon removal results via sustainable barley production, paving the way for supply chain decarbonization for beer brewers.
The initiative, called the Climate Smart Barley project, was conducted on Olander Farms’ barley fields, achieving an estimated net removal of more than 4,000 tons of CO2 according to verified calculations aligned with ISO 14064 international greenhouse gas standards.
Walker Modic, New Belgium’s Senior Director of Environmental Programs, shared, “Having this project’s data indicates we can make sustainable, low-emissions beer from grain to glass.”
What’s more, this project demonstrated regenerative barley farming practices that did not diminish the quality of the barley product itself, delivering a premium malt quality for craft brewing.
Focused on reducing CO2 emissions, this project also managed to build supply chain resilience in a reality where extreme weather often disrupts crop consistency for producers.
The project used sophisticated soil health modeling and a U.S. land classification system developed by Downforce Technologies to evaluate the condition of the soil across the treated area.
As indicated by the assessment results, Olander Farms achieved a soil health score of 84%, marking an outstanding project performance.
Beyond the climate and ecological impact, this project also brings meaningful progress for beer brewers, enabling a pathway for meeting sustainability goals without affecting beer flavor and fermentability.
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Luke Richards, Head of Product & Business Development (Americas) at Downforce, explained, “Connecting farmers, maltsters, and breweries through verified data can turn climate-smart barley into a reliable, resilience-building asset. Many consumers are willing to pay more for sustainably produced beer, and Colorado is uniquely positioned to lead in this area.”
On behalf of Root Shoot Malting, founder and farmer Todd Olander commented, “We’re proud to supply craft malt to breweries and distilleries across the U.S. This project showed our regenerative practices aren’t just good for the land—they’re actively removing carbon from the atmosphere.”
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