BarthHaas has launched a campaign encouraging the hop industry to “thrive together” in a bid to promote change.

The hop industry worldwide is undergoing a fundamental upheaval. Climate change and the extreme weather conditions it brings are causing crop to struggle and increasingly frequent grain and hop supply fluctuations. Furthermore, enormous energy and raw material price rises are presenting businesses with unprecedented economic challenges.

The world’s biggest hop specialist BarthHaas is also adapting to these challenges and is focusing all its activities on the goal of using its expertise to support the brewing industry as a strong partner in these difficult times. Correspondingly, the company is launching an international campaign with the motto “Thriving Together in an Ever-Changing World” to communicate its intentions on all relevant channels.

Climate change calls for new, resilient hop varieties

As is also the case with other agricultural sectors, the hop industry has been hit hard by the extreme weather conditions, a fact that was recently evidenced by the lower yields of the 2022 crop, particularly in Europe. Those who aim to be fit for the future cannot ignore the topic of variety selection. 

“Many of the older hop varieties that are well established and loved by brewers around the world are unable to realize their full potential in these changing climatic conditions,” explains Stephan Schinagl, who, in his role as head of purchasing at BarthHaas, is in constant contact with hop producers.

“New, sustainable breeds of hops that are better able to tolerate drought stress or are more resistant to disease and thus require less use of pesticides, will serve the entire industry with regard to safeguarding raw materials.” 

In order to keep pace with the times, BarthHaas constantly collaborates with experts. “We support the hop research society Gesellschaft für Hopfenforschung and the hop research center in Hüll with regard to the upstream and downstream areas of breeding so that reliably yielding, climate-resistant varieties can be successfully used in international brewers’ beer recipes,” explains Schinagl.

Changing times demand modern hop products

However, the new breeds have to find acceptance not only among the growers but also among the brewers. That is why BarthHaas has set itself the goal of promoting change at all levels in the industry. “We wish to work on this together with our customers and show them how they can achieve the accustomed taste with more resilient varieties, too,” explains Thomas Raiser, Sales & Marketing Director at BarthHaas. “In doing so, we can help our growers to implement the changes needed to make the future of hop supply as stable and reliable as possible.”

In view of rising costs, efficiency will assume even greater importance for brewers in the future, because it will become increasingly difficult for them to manage their businesses profitably. As a supplier, BarthHaas is also increasingly adapting to this scenario and is constantly working to improve its own hop products in order to help brewers produce outstanding beers more efficiently. 

This is why, for example, liquid hop products are now available that make it possible to produce bitterness, hop flavor and even natural hazing, and to do so more quickly and more economically. “Thus, breweries can make efficiency savings at almost every stage of the brewing process, helping them to achieve the competitive advantage they need in order to grow in the future,” emphasizes Thomas Raiser.

Two centuries behind us – a bright future ahead

As a company with almost 230 years of experience and world-leading product innovations, BarthHaas considers itself ideally prepared for the challenges of the future. “We see these challenges as an opportunity and we will face up to the unavoidable changes affecting our industry,” says Raiser.

“Together with our customers and partners, we will do all we can to be more efficient, to minimize risks and to offer diversification solutions”, he promises. 

To communicate this promise, BarthHaas has started its biggest campaign to date, with the motto “Thriving Together”. This aspiration is to form the basis for communication in the coming years.