Background

Empowering Farmers: skilling up for sustainable agriculture

Published: 23/03/2018

By 2025, AB InBev will ensure that 100% of their direct farm providers will be skilled, connected, and financially empowered.

Beer is predominantly produced and consumed locally. Local sourcing therefore is a critical part of AB InBev’s business model in most of their key markets.

As a global brewer, AB InBev depends on high-quality agricultural crops to brew their beers. That’s why the company is supporting the livelihoods of farming communities worldwide, working with over 20,000 direct farmers across 13 countries and five continents to grow natural ingredients — including barley, corn, rice, hops, sorghum and cassava.

By supporting direct farmers to be skilled, connected and financially empowered, AB InBev is helping them improve productivity, profitability, and the efficient use of natural resources, such as soil and water. By leveraging research, knowledge, technology and financing the company is helping to transform sustainable agriculture at scale. Measuring impact through yields, resource-efficiency, soil health and smallholder incomes.

The company is working to secure a resilient and high-quality supply of crops for decades to come. For example, AB InBev’s branches in in Africa have pioneered the use of under-commercialised local crops to create new affordable beer brands — like Eagle Lager, made with local sorghum in Uganda, and Impala, made with local cassava in Mozambique.

Because challenges in agriculture cannot be solved alone, the company partners with a wide range of collaborators, including universities, tech start-ups, NGOs, governments and businesses. Like most food and drink manufacturers, AB InBev depends on farmers, and is committed to supporting them through a sustainable transformation — securing supply chains, improving livelihoods, and strengthening ecosystems — now and for the next 100 years and beyond.

AB InBev works with over 20,000 direct farmers across 13 countries and 5 continents to tackle challenges big and small. Together, we’re improving lives and protecting natural resources around the world.

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