Spendrups and Lantmännen widen climate-focused cultivation deal

Spendrups Brewery is moving to source most of its malting barley from climate-certified farms, stepping up a partnership with agricultural cooperative Lantmännen that highlights the push among European beverage companies to shrink their carbon footprints.

The brewer will procure 25,000 tons of barley this year under Lantmännen’s Climate & Nature program, covering more than 70% of its conventional barley needs and cutting nearly 4,000 tons of annual CO₂ emissions, according to the companies. Within a few years, Spendrups expects the program to account for all its barley supply.

The expansion comes as beer makers face growing pressure from regulators and consumers to demonstrate sustainability credentials. Barley, the core ingredient in beer brewing, is also Spendrups’ largest raw material. Since the partnership began in 2022, it has helped avoid an estimated 8,000 tons of CO₂ emissions.

“Step by step, we are moving closer to our climate targets, and this shows how important it is to collaborate across the value chain,” said Richard Bengtsson, Spendrups’ Master Brewer.

Spendrups, ranked by the Financial Times as Europe’s leading climate beverage company in 2025, has adopted science-based targets that include a 92.5% cut in scope 1 and 2 emissions—covering production and transport—and a 33% reduction across its supply chain by 2030. In 2025, the brewer also set a specific agriculture target to reduce emissions by a third.

For Lantmännen, the deal strengthens its Climate & Nature program, which uses measures such as fossil-free fertilizers, renewable fuels, and biodiversity initiatives. Since its launch in 2015, the initiative has reduced emissions from cultivation by as much as 45%.

“Turning ambitious goals into action is the step the industry now faces,” said Claes Johansson, head of sustainability at Lantmännen. “Increasing the amount of malting barley grown according to Climate & Nature is exactly the kind of action needed to meet climate targets for 2030.”

The agreement reflects how food and beverage companies are increasingly linking brand positioning to climate targets, betting that investments in low-emission raw materials will bolster both long-term supply security and consumer demand for products with a lighter footprint.