Can Demand For Beer Variety Challenge A Brewery’s Sustainability Goals?

A recent  report, published by food and drink manufacturing consultancy NIRAS, has outlined how the brewing industry has a “once in a generation” chance to achieve its sustainability goals, but notes that that comes at the cost of limiting the variety of beers it produces, something many craft beer consumers demand.

So it appears that being a leader in sustainability and at the same time providingf an ever-changing variety of beers are at conflict with one another.

Speaking with the Drinks Business about the issue, NIRAS vice president Jonas B. Borrit said…

“Sustainability is clearly a key consideration for businesses across all sectors and for resource-intensive manufacturers like breweries, it’s no longer a nice to have, but is fast becoming a license to operate. Stronger consumer appetite for variety over volume has undoubtedly created commercial opportunities for breweries, but producing up to 100 different varieties of beer in a large-scale plant means that short production runs will require more energy and water.”

But still, according to the report there are currently great opportunities to advance sustainability goals, especially if you’re a larger brewery…

Despite these challenges, there’s a once in a generation opportunity for large-scale brewers to set the standard for the industry,” Borrit explained, thanks to advanced production processes that aggressively limit energy and water consumption, and new technologies that reduce waste and are more efficient.

However the report noted that smaller (read: craft) breweries may find balancing their sustainability goals with consumer demand more difficult.

“Some small breweries may have incorporated sustainability into their identity but now face the prospect of remaining sustainable as they scale up.,” said Borrit. “Others may face limited resources and restricted facilities, meaning they are particularly vulnerable to changes in regulations and consumer expectations because it’s too costly to catch up. The large brewing groups have better access to loans and investment to drive the sustainability agenda.”

But according to the report, the time has never been better to advance a brewery’s sustainability goals…

“There’s no doubt there are a number of obstacles for breweries looking to become more sustainable, Borrit added “but it’s clear that the industry has a huge opportunity to engage the next generation of customers and make sure the industry is sustainable in every sense of the word.”

###