Dive Brief:
- Anheuser-Busch InBev has signed a deal with Swiss crop company Syngenta to provide seeds and training to the brewer's barley suppliers.
- Under the deal, Syngenta will provide seed varieties and training in sustainable farming techniques to the 15,000 barley growers operating in eight countries that sell barley to the maker of Budweiser.
- Training is set to begin in Argentina, where AB InBev has some 160 growers producing barley on 14,000 hectares.
Dive Insight:
It's worth noting that news of the agreement comes just days after AB InBev responded to public pressure and disclosed the list of ingredients in its beers for the first time.
But it's not clear if any, or how much, of the Syngenta barley will be genetically modified. Although such crops are not approved for use in the EU, none of AB InBev's growers are EU-based.
