Three workgroups making progress on barley sustainability
The American Malting Barley Association (AMBA) Sustainability Committee directed three workgroups to form and focus on specific priorities related to the sustainable production of malting barley. Each workgroup is led by an industry member representative and all active AMBA members are encouraged to participate, in addition to the six grower members serving in an advisory role. Each workgroup has met at least once and will be sharing opportunities for further engagement with the Technical Committee and Board of Directors at their respective meetings this December. If you have not participated in this work to date, but would like to be included in future correspondence, please contact Ashley McFarland to begin receiving communication and meeting invites for the workgroup meetings. Baselining Barley: led by Zach Gaines (Proximity Malt) This work focuses on strategies to determine the environmental impact of barley production, focusing primarily on GHG emissions, and providing a platform to track change over time. This work is motivated by sustainability goals held by several industry members in addition to the evolving landscape of climate disclosures that will likely impact future procurement decisions. The group is currently interviewing a consultant that has provided a proposal for this work that includes outlining a Climate Action Roadmap that would illustrate opportunities to reduce the environmental burden of barley production. Nitrogen Research: led by Ross Erickson (Malteurop) The application of Nitrogen in barley production systems could account for nearly 70% of the GHG emissions from a unit of barley produced. In order to make significant progress on GHG emission reduction, strategies to lessen that burden are necessary. This group is exploring the potential of alternative Nitrogen sources, application methods and rates, and additional products that could lead to Nitrogen efficiency. They are working with researchers to draft a proposal to support a research trial that would investigate Nitrogen management that maintains barley productivity and quality. Communicating Sustainability: led by Betsy Roberts (Briess Malt & Ingredients) Barley has many sustainable qualities, and has long been favored by farmers as a rotational crop, but little research exists to articulate those benefits. Furthermore, as investments are continually made into barley improvement, improved genetics are providing more resilient and efficient varieties to our industry. This workgroup is focused on exploring the data that supports these claims and plans to develop strategies around communicating the benefits of barley. This will likely inform the work of the Quality Evaluation Program and how new varieties are promoted and adopted based on their sustainable qualities.
