In a landmark achievement for sustainable agriculture in the whisky industry, Simpsons Malt Limited has guided more than 120 contracted farmers to the UK’s first Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) Gold verification for distilling wheat.
The certification comes through collaboration with the Chivas Brothers Strathclyde Growers Group, ensuring that all distilling wheat supplied to Chivas Brothers meets globally recognized sustainability standards.
Setting New Benchmarks in Sustainable Farming
The FSA Gold verification – the highest performance level available – confirms that farmers in the Strathclyde Growers Group are implementing exceptional sustainable practices across multiple areas including soil management, biodiversity, and employee welfare.
This achievement surpasses previous UK wheat farming standards, which had only reached FSA Silver equivalent until now.
Ben Gothorp, Sustainability Manager at Simpsons Malt Limited, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to see the Growers Group attain FSA Gold verification– a first for distilling wheat in the UK. In recent years, our contracted growers have become increasingly aware of the need to operate more sustainably – from reducing in-field emissions and improving biodiversity, to ensuring proper business management. With FSA examining the entire farming operation and 100% Gold performance level being achieved across the Growers Group, it is testament to these growers and highlights the progress being made with sustainability on-farm.”
Critical Ingredient for Blended Whisky Production
The Strathclyde Growers Group supplies approximately 80,000 tonnes of wheat annually to Chivas Brothers, where it’s processed at the Glasgow-based Strathclyde Distillery to produce new grain spirit for globally recognized whiskies including the Ballantine’s range.
Ronald Daalmans, Sustainability Director at Chivas Brothers, added: “Wheat is a critical ingredient in the creation of blended whisky and Chivas Brothers Strathclyde Growers Group supplies us with approximately 80,000 tonnes annually, so to know the farmers are meeting the highest standards of environmental and social sustainability is incredibly important to us realizing our vision. It is only by working together that we can achieve meaningful change, so our heartfelt thanks go to all 126 farmers and Simpsons Malt Limited who helped us reach this significant milestone contributing to the production of more sustainable whisky.”
Carina Calder, whose farm in the Scottish Borders was selected for in-person audit, expressed pride in the achievement: “As farmers, we know that consumers are becoming more aware of the provenance and quality of what they buy, so it is understandable that globally recognized schemes like the FSA are becoming increasingly important.”
This certification represents another step in the ongoing sustainability partnership between Simpsons Malt Limited and Chivas Brothers, who recently established an additional Miltonduff Growers Group focused on sustainable malting barley production across more than 180 Scottish farms.
Read the full article at Chivas Brothers’ Wheat Suppliers Earn UK-First Sustainability Gold