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Joint News Release
Journey towards net-zero barley production: BASF and Boortmalt produce first Verified Impact Units in Europe
- Project measured impact of sustainable farming practices and generated additional revenue for barley growers
- Average savings of 2.3 tons CO₂e per hectare, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by close to 90 percent
- Project delivered through BASF’s Global Carbon Farming Program and independently verified by SustainCERT
Limburgerhof, Germany; Cork, Ireland – BASF and Boortmalt, the world’s leading malted barley provider, have successfully generated the first Verified Impact Units (VIUs) from reducing and removing on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “The journey we began in 2022 has now reached a pivotal milestone with the generation of the VIUs,” said Marko Grozdanovic, Senior Vice President Global Marketing at BASF Agricultural Solutions. “This achievement showcases the potential of climate-smart agriculture and our Global Carbon Farming Program, emphasizing also the importance of connecting farmers with stakeholders across the value chain to develop scalable solutions.”
As part of BASF’s Global Carbon Farming Program, enabled by xarvio® Digital Farming Solutions, barley farmers in Ireland have implemented sustainable farming practices such as cover crops. These efforts have resulted in average savings of 2.3 tons CO₂e per hectare, reducing GHG emissions by nearly 90 percent and bringing barley production closer to net-zero. This creates a significant milestone for companies seeking a mechanism to certify the impact of on-farm interventions that help reduce scope 3 emissions1 and meet Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitments.
“We are incredibly proud alongside our project partners to be Europe’s first to have achieved Verra’s standard of verification from carbon insetting,” said Gustavo Palerosi Carneiro, Senior Vice President BASF Agricultural Solutions for EMEA & CIS. “Through reliable verification and certification, farmers are rewarded for implementing sustainable practices that benefit the environment without compromising productivity. We are excited to continue to work with food value chain and farmers on our Carbon Farming Program and to provide them with innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture.”
Boortmalt’s agronomists have been working closely alongside barley farmers in the field. Farmers know the benefits to soil, biodiversity and environment from sustainable farming practices. However, the transitioning from conventional methods to more sustainable ones is not always easy. In addition to the need to acquire new knowledge, farmers may need to invest in new materials, such as cover crop seeds. Boortmalt understands the need for a value chain solution that not only reduces emissions in barley cultivation but also creates profitability opportunities for growers to accelerate and support these changes. “These first VIUs represent a critical step forward, benefitting farmers and reinforcing our commitment to reducing GHG emissions and promoting sustainability,” said Gauthier Boels, Group Sustainable Agriculture Manager at Boortmalt.
BASF’s Carbon Farming Program implements Verra’s agricultural protocol (VM0042) and works with SustainCERT, an independent validation and verification body for climate impact. “This is a great achievement,” said Marion Verles, CEO of SustainCERT. “Our team validated and verified the outcomes of BASF’s Global Carbon Farming Program to ensure that the CO2e savings are of the highest level of trust and accountability. Our approach helps companies demonstrate progress toward their scope 3 targets by validating and verifying value chain interventions and confirming the resulting mitigations outcomes.”
In the future, BASF will extend its Global Carbon Farming Program working with partners globally across several crops to deliver similar benefits for different value chains. The insights gained from this program are also highly valuable for Boortmalt, as it expands its ambitious regenerative agriculture program across various regions, tailoring it to suit each country. The company is committed to facilitate the transition to regenerative agriculture practices and reduce its barley emissions by 30.3 percent by 2030, compared to baseline in 2023, in line with its SBTi commitments.
About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
Everything we do, we do for the love of farming. Farming is fundamental to provide enough healthy and affordable food for a rapidly growing population, while reducing environmental impacts. That’s why we are working with partners and experts to integrate sustainability criteria into all business decisions. With €919 million in 2024, we continue to invest in a strong R&D pipeline, combining innovative thinking with practical action in the field. Our solutions are purpose-designed for different crop systems. Connecting seeds and traits, crop protection products, digital tools and sustainability approaches, to help deliver the best possible outcomes for farmers, growers and our other stakeholders along the value chain. With teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we do everything in our power to build a sustainable future for agriculture. In 2024, our division generated sales of € 9.8 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.
About Boortmalt
Boortmalt is the world’s leading malting company with a production capacity of three million tons. The group is present on five continents with 27 malting plants. Boortmalt’s expertise is widely acknowledged by brewers, distillers, and food industries who rely on the supply of top-quality malted barley. Boortmalt has a strong vision on sustainability and in line with this they promote the continuous improvement of farming methodologies through local sourcing programs that are environmentally sound and beneficial to local communities. Boortmalt has committed to the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Furthermore, the company has partnered with Waterford Distillery using a unique ‘single farm origin’ sourcing model. With all parties aiming to deliver increases in soil health, grain quality and climate resilience across the supply chain, from grain to glass. For more information, please visit www.boortmalt.com.
1 Scope 3 emissions are the result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organization, but that the organization indirectly impacts in its value chain. More information can be found here.
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