Giving consumers a window into our barley's journey

We are engaging consumers to improve understanding of sustainable agriculture to enable them to make more informed and environmentally conscious choices – starting with our Kronenbourg 1664 Blonde beer in France, where we launched the first traceable Responsible Barley chain in 2022.

Thanks to a QR code on the packaging, and a new blockchain solution, consumers can keep a close eye on our commitments and progress in sourcing Responsible Barley for Kronenbourg 1664 Blonde, and access information about the barley’s journey from field to bottle.

Over 155,000 consumers scanned the QR code in the first six months to learn about the various stages of the brewing process and the dates when their beer was brewed and bottled.

The sustainable practices adopted by the 45 farmers taking part in the first year of our Responsible Barley partnership with Malteries Soufflet and grain buyer Soufflet Agriculture are already delivering benefits for the planet. An independent assessment1 found that emissions from the 2022 harvest were 20% lower compared with conventionally grown barley.

The number of partner farmers supplying the crop has now grown to 120, and the area of farmland dedicated to Responsible Barley has tripled to 2,700 hectares.