As businesses, we have been catapulted into a world where we must take responsibility for and evaluate the impact of our environmental footprint. Here Charlie Gorham, head of marketing and events at Charles Faram, explains how they recognised their responsibility many years ago, especially with the expansion of their sites, international product ranges, and a growing awareness that they were at a crossroads where tradition meets sustainability.
Brewers, buyers, and drinkers are increasingly interested in the origin of our ingredients, and consequently, what Charles Faram stands for as a company. Faram’s continuously assesses the environmental impact of every aspect of our operations and our role within the brewing and agricultural ecosystems.
A Global Approach to Quality and Sustainability
Grower-owned with sites in the UK, US, Canada, and Poland, Charles Faram works with farmers and partners to supply brewers across the world with the highest quality hops and brewing ingredients. They collaborate closely with hop breeding programmes, academic institutions, and agronomic experts to minimise factors that negatively affect our environment and community.
At Charles Faram, we’ve always strived to go beyond basic compliance. They achieved ISO 14001 certification in 2022 and have been rigorously evaluating our operations with a focus on reducing our environmental impact in processing and supplying brewing ingredients to our customers.
Now, this might sound like a box-ticking exercise, but bear with us—this certification proves the effectiveness of the changes they’ve been making.
These certifications aren’t just one-off acknowledgements. As part of our ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 commitments, they conduct internal audits and observational checks on our processes, reporting on findings and non-conformances with recommendations for improvement.
Charles Faram HQ: Waste Management and Renewable Energy
At our UK base, Charles Faram has taken control of our waste streams, saving £24,000 in the first 12 months alone. A waste baler on-site manages our cardboard, plastics, and hop bale cloths, reducing skip collections by 75%. They accumulate lorry loads of baled waste for collection and recycling, which delivers a rebate—meaning they’re actually making money from our waste. In the last 12 months 31 MT of recyclable waste has been collected.
They encourage environmentally-friendly choices when it comes to office supplies, such as compostable coffee cups and recyclable document wallets, which are also cost-effective compared to non-recyclable options. For packaging, they source FSC-certified cardboard and continue to explore recyclable food-grade foil for our hop products.
Monitoring Energy Usage
Monitoring energy consumption across our five buildings—the FreshPak processing area, pelleting plant, picking and dispatch area, cold store, and office block—has given Charles Faram a detailed view of our energy efficiency. The largest machine in the pelleting plant produces 10 tonnes of finished product per day during the processing season. The picking & dispatch area benefits from a 96 kW solar array on the roof, generating over 70,000 kWh of energy per year.
Our cold store, chilled to 1°C, holds over 1,600 pallets of finished goods and houses a 165 kW solar array that produced over 115 MWh of solar energy in the past 12 months. The office block, which supports around 30 workstations, relies on solar power for most of its operations.
Given that hops are seasonal, energy readings are taken throughout the year to track usage during peak processing times, helping to measure energy consumption for FreshPak and hop pellets.
In the Field: Blending Innovative Science with Tradition
Charles Faram’s Hop Development Programme, led by Group Technical Director Will Rogers, engages agronomists worldwide who are committed to breeding hop varieties that withstand disease, pests, and climate change impacts. These new varieties aim to grow well, pick efficiently, and yield high-quality crops, delivering unique flavours and aromas that brewers and beer enthusiasts love.
The Development Team is invested in reducing chemical and pesticide use in hop cultivation, which benefits soil health, lowers carbon emissions, and enhances biodiversity. This proactive approach ensures the brewing industry stays ahead of future pesticide regulations and climate changes.
In partnership with growers and academic institutions, Charles Faram continues to explore sustainable farming methods. Sheep graze through hop yards during the summer, acting as natural pest controllers by eating base leaves that can harbour pests and diseases. Projects are also underway that use wildflowers and ground cover to promote biodiversity and soil health.
Net Zero: What’s the Plan?
We’ve all heard of Net Zero, and Charles Faram & Co is developing our strategy to align with environmental regulations and legislation. The data gathered in our reports will be shared with partners and customers, helping the brewing industry collectively reduce environmental impacts and work towards a sustainable future. Our Net Zero Strategy is set to be published in Spring 2025.
Charles Faram is committed to educating and inspiring others. Our “Spreading Hoppiness” podcast shares updates on sustainability improvements, hop genetics, and features industry experts who discuss legislation and carbon credit schemes relevant to brewing.
Our events bring brewers, beer writers, and suppliers together to network, trial brew, sample beers, and learn about sustainability, new hop varieties, brewing ingredients and the latest developments in brewing. The HopWalk® on Tour takes participants into the heart of our secret nurseries and development plots, to highlight the importance of protecting both the environment, and agricultural traditions and landscapes for future generations.
