At Bairds, we understand that the pursuit of quality malt is dependent on sourcing the best available UK barley, which is why we are proud to source our barley only from growers who are members of UK farm assurances schemes recognised by SAI Platform’s global framework – the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA).
SAI Platform is non-profit network of members working in collaboration to advance sustainable agricultural practices through collaboration of all stages of the supply chain.
With over 800 direct farm accounts, Bairds purchase our barley from growers who can boast Silver or Gold status which helps to support our commitment to sustainability from field to firkin and drill to still. Bairds have also recently joined the COOL farm program helping growers to measure greenhouse emissions, biodiversity and crop irrigation requirements for each growing location and identify opportunities for improvement .
As our business grows and Project Angel nears completion, we will be reliant on a secure and sustainable supply chain more than ever. We believe in investing in our relationships with growers that we live alongside and from whom we source our barley.
Over the last 25 years Bairds and Scotgrain have fully supported the evolution of UK recommended barley lines through our Early Evaluation Programme and have identified 8 proprietary lines that have been commercially successful for our Scottish supply chain. Bairds investment in the grain to glass process with malting barley trials in Scotland highlights our commitment to providing local high-quality sustainable supply to our distillers and brewers. Ongoing investment will allow us to continue trialling new Barley varieties in Scotland alongside Scotgrain Agriculture and with Mark Lawrence Grain south of the border.
SAI Platform and COOL farm is another important part of the jigsaw as it validates the work we have been carrying out and helps to pool our knowledge with other beneficiaries in the supply chain.
All stages of the supply chain are dependant on developing sustainable farming practices and finding ways to collaborate and explore solutions helps not just us but future generations to come and that can’t be underestimated.
You can find more information on SAI Platform here, and COOL farm here.
