Integrating the malt value chain
Overall production of malting barley is decreasing worldwide and is concentrated in certain geographical zones. Barley is in competition with other cereal grains in a context of worldwide demographic growth and increasing needs for cereal grains to feed a population of 9 billion in 2050. One billion additional tons of grains will have to be produced by 2050 to meet nutritional needs.
In this context of competition for allocation of arable land and with barley yields stable compared to other cereal grains (corn in particular), it is imperative to organize the availability of barley for the long term and increase malting-barley crop yields.
It is clear that a phenomenon of conversion of barley growing areas towards other crops is under way, since barley growing areas have been reduced by 24 million hectares worldwide over the past 20 years, from 73 million hectares in 1994 to 49 million in 2014. This reduction in areas obviously results in a drop in production, and consequently reduces the potential amounts of barley that can be selected as malting barley.
In parallel, the demand for malting barley increased by 9 million tons over this same period, from 17 to 26 million tons annually.
We are also witnessing a geographical imbalance between supply and demand, since strong growth in beer consumption in certain zones is not accompanied by growth in barley production in the same regions.
Finally, climatic vagaries have a growing impact on the quality of malting barley, which remains a highly technical cereal grain that is sensitive to fluctuations in climate.
Therefore it is of strategic importance for the industry to secure malting barley production — in quantity and in quality — while ensuring the flow from production zones toward consumption zones.
Thanks to its experience and its international scope, Malteurop has developed real expertise over the entire malting-barley chain and a complete and dynamic approach to all aspects of barley supply and procurement.
Barley is especially well suited to malting operations and meets brewers’ needs and expectations. During the different stages of fabrication of malt and beer, the grain is capable of synthesizing and rapidly activating an enzymatic complex.
A complete approach to malting barley procurement must take into account these six key areas and deploy pragmatic, multi-faceted solutions keyed to situations and customer needs in each region.
Certain countries are structurally in deficit since they consume beer yet produce little or no barley.
Malteurop, a group of international size and geographical scope, can provide consulting and engineering services in contexts where the stakes are high for its customers, backed by:
Working together: Malteurop also puts that philosophy into practice with its own suppliers, seed producers-breeders, storage operators, and carriers. For in fact all of them make important contributions to the proper operation of the barley value chain, in particular as regards traceability and food safety.
