276: How Brown-Forman Focuses on Sustainability with a Global Spirits Portfolio

Bourbon Lens

Our guest today is Andy Battjes, Brown-Forman’s Director of Global Environmental Sustainability. With responsibility over the company’s diverse, global spirits portfolio, Andy is a company leader who drives their sustainability initiatives around the globe. Through his work over the last 18+ years, Battjes has guided Brown-Forman in targeting areas within the supply chain and beyond where they can implement green initiatives. Brown-Forman (home to iconic brands such as Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Old Forester, Tequila Herradura, and Woodford Reserve) is working on making the world a little greener, one bottle at a time.

Some of the largest initiatives of Brown-Forman include:

• White Oak Initiative: Brown-Forman has helped to spearhead the White Oak Initiative with the American Forest Foundation. While waiting for bourbon to mature can seem long, it takes 60 - 80 years for a white oak to mature to the point that it's good for a whiskey barrel. This creates a long term sustainability concern. The White Oak Initiative is a diverse coalition of partners committed to the long-term sustainability of America’s white oak forests as well as the economic, social, and environmental benefits they provide.
• Sustainability from Farm to Bottle: Brown-Forman is committed to zero waste and transforming the way business is conducted using circularity principles, designing out waste, and keeping products and materials in use. From more sustainable packaging to watershed stewardship to creating a resilient, agile agricultural supply chain with regenerative farming practices, Brown-Forman is committed year-round to sustainability.
• Wind Powered Whiskey: Brown-Forman was the first US wine or spirits company to enter into a purchase power agreement and has since met their goal to offset more than 90% of electricity usage at U.S facilities through their investment into wind power from the Solomon Forks Wind Project.

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More About Brown-Forman and Sustainability:

Caring for natural resources and the climate isn’t simply a business concern for us. From the fields that grow our grains, agave, and grapes, to the water we transform into our spirits, to the oak for our barrels, we depend on the earth’s bounty. It’s about committing to the environment that sustains us, caring for the resources we share with our community, and nurturing what we have for those that come after us.

• Climate Action - We are committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our owned operations and supply chain. Our goal is to halve our emissions by 2030 and become net-zero GHG emissions by 2045.
• Water Stewardship - We are committed to protecting the health of key watersheds in our communities. Our goal is to ensure that 100% of our high-risk and business critical watersheds achieve water balance by 2030.
• Circularity - We are committed to zero waste and transforming the way we conduct business using circularity principles, designing out waste, and keeping products and materials in use.
• Sustainable Packaging - We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our product packaging while working towards a more circular economy.
• Sustainable Agriculture - We are committed to creating a resilient and agile agricultural supply chain by implementing regenerative practices on the agricultural lands we grow and source from by collaborating with our growers and other industry partners
• Sustainable Forestry - We are committed to conservation of the existing hardwood forests we depend on for our white oak barrels and sugar maple charcoal.