The Budweiser brewer, Anheuser-Busch, has signed a deal with Indigo Agriculture to focus on sustainable rice production which is hoped will drive down greenhouse gas emissions in the production of beer.
Rice is a key ingredient in their beers and the brewer is the largest end user of rice in the United States. The company buys rice from across the United States and mills approximately 2.6 million pounds of rice a day at a company-owned facility in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Indigo has committed to delivering 2.2 million bushels of rice to Anheuser-Busch that is grown with specific environmental attributes. This rice will reduce water and nitrogen used by 10% and achieve at least 10% savings in greenhouse gas emissions compared to typical benchmarks.
David Perry, Indigo’s CEO, said: ‘Indigo is leveraging its end-to-end, integrated approach to agriculture to grow, capture, and preserve the value of sustainably produced ingredients.
‘We are thrilled to partner with Anheuser-Busch, a company that shares our vision for beneficial agriculture, to create meaningful value for the growing community and higher quality options for consumers.
‘By collaborating with leaders across the supply chain, we’re conserving natural resources, preserving farmland for future generations, and producing healthier final products.’
In related news, Anheuser-Busch last year placed an order for up to 800 hydrogen-electric powered semi-trucks from Nikola Motor Company.
The zero-emission trucks which will be able to travel between 500 and 1,200 miles and can be refilled within 20 minutes and are expected to be integrated into Anheuser-Busch’s fleet from 2020.