Sustainability

Sustainability Approach

At Boortmalt, sustainability is central to building the long-term resilience of our business, our people and communities, and the planet on which we all depend. Driven by our passion for malt and our ambition to create positive impact, we focus on the environmental, social and governance issues that matter most across our operations and value chain – including sustainable agriculture, climate and energy, health and safety, and water stewardship.

Our current sustainability framework translates this ambition into four core and five supporting objectives, presented below. Through these objectives, we take action across our operations and value chain, monitor and report on our progress, and seek to contribute to the relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Our climate objectives are aligned with the Paris Agreement’s ambition to pursue efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

Our approach is guided by the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, covering human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption. Through our memberships of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform (SAI Platform), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B), we collaborate with others to advance more sustainable and resilient agricultural value chains and business operations.

CEO’s message

At Boortmalt sustainable development is more than a duty, it is a passion.
We are determined to make a difference and committed to being
the Masters of Sustainability in Malt.

Yvan SCHAEPMAN, Boortmalt CEO

Core objectives

Sustainable farming

We promote the continuous improvement of farming methodologies through local sourcing programs which prioritize practices that are environmentally sound and beneficial to local communities.

Water conservation

We continuously raise awareness on water conservation and focus on all possible ways to optimise the efficient use of water and where possible, the re-use of treated wastewater. In a world where water scarcity is a reality, we see it as our responsibility to have the most water-efficient malting process in place.

Energy & Emissions Reduction

We commit to the 1.5°C Paris Agreement scenario by reducing our carbon footprint through investing in alternative energy, reducing our need for energy, sourcing renewable energy, and working with our providers and farmers to get to carbon neutral malting barley.

Health & Safety

We promote an open and proactive health and safety culture with the full involvement of our people and stakeholders, and strong, visible leadership. In doing so, we are proud to have become one of the safest places to work.

Supporting objectives

Waste reduction

We are working towards a target of zero landfill by continuously optimizing our yield and that of our farmers and finding alternative uses for our by-products. We also aim to reduce the waste from our packaging by using only fully recyclable and recycled bags & liners in collaboration with our customers.

Traceability & Transparency

We believe it is key to provide a fully reliable, transparent, and traceable view of the road our malt travels from the barley on the field to the malt at the brewer or distiller so that end consumers can make informed decisions about the beer or whiskey they want to drink.

Community & Engagement

We recognize the important role local communities play and we believe that our sites and teams must be well connected to them. We are convinced that strong and sustainable communities are the basis of our future and that we, through partnerships and sponsorships, can make a difference together.

Business Ethics

We commit to conducting business in an ethical manner. We all stand by our Business Ethics Manual, which is an extended code of conduct of Axereal, and expect the same behaviour from our business partners.

Diversity, Inclusion & Equality

We strive for an inclusive and diverse workplace where employees always feel energized, respected and valued, and where their skills, knowledge and creativity are nurtured and drive our ambition to the the Masters of Malt.

Sustainability Report 2024

BOORTMALT is a global malting company with a 3 million tonnes production capacity. The group is present on 5 continents with 25 malting plants. Boortmalt’s expertise is widely acknowledged by brewers, distillers, and food industries, who rely on the supply of top-quality barley malts.

The Boortmalt Group is a subsidiary of the agricultural and agribusiness cooperative Axereal. Our relationship with Axereal, Europe’s largest grain cooperative, ensures us access to high-quality barley year-round.

Become a Master

Opportunities

Contact

BOORTMALT
HEADQUARTERS
Zandvoort 2 - Haven 350 - Bus 1
B-2030 ANTWERP
BELGIUM
Tel. + 32 3 545 04 11
Email: info@boortmalt.com

Sustainability

Sustainability Approach

CEO’s message

Core objectives

We promote the continuous improvement of farming methodologies through local sourcing programs which prioritize practices that are environmentally sound and beneficial to local communities.

We commit to the 1.5°C Paris Agreement scenario by reducing our carbon footprint through investing in alternative energy, reducing our need for energy, sourcing renewable energy, and working with our providers and farmers to get to carbon neutral malting barley.

We promote an open and proactive health and safety culture with the full involvement of our people and stakeholders, and strong, visible leadership. In doing so, we are proud to have become one of the safest places to work.

Supporting objectives

We believe it is key to provide a fully reliable, transparent, and traceable view of the road our malt travels from the barley on the field to the malt at the brewer or distiller so that end consumers can make informed decisions about the beer or whiskey they want to drink.

We recognize the important role local communities play and we believe that our sites and teams must be well connected to them. We are convinced that strong and sustainable communities are the basis of our future and that we, through partnerships and sponsorships, can make a difference together.

We commit to conducting business in an ethical manner. We all stand by our Business Ethics Manual, which is an extended code of conduct of Axereal, and expect the same behaviour from our business partners.

We strive for an inclusive and diverse workplace where employees always feel energized, respected and valued, and where their skills, knowledge and creativity are nurtured and drive our ambition to the the Masters of Malt.

Actions

Certifications

Policies & Business Ethics