New Belgium, Root Shoot Malting, and Olander Farms Show Climate-smart Barley Can Sequester Carbon

A Colorado-first pilot project pulled 4,000+ tons of carbon from the atmosphere while meeting ISO greenhouse gas standards and preserving premium brewing performance

In Fort Collins, Colorado, a pioneering trio—New Belgium Brewing, Root Shoot Malting, and Olander Farms—has just completed a state-first sustainability project with national implications for beer supply chains. Their Climate Smart Barley project, funded by the Colorado Department of Agriculture and verified by Downforce Technologies, demonstrated that regenerative barley farming practices can actually remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere while maintaining premium malt quality for craft brewing.

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How much carbon are we talking? According to the partners, Olander Farms’ barley fields achieved an estimated net removal of more than 4,000 tons of CO₂—with verified calculations aligned to ISO 14064 international greenhouse gas standards. And perhaps more importantly for brewers, the farm’s barley quality didn’t suffer a bit.

“Having this project’s data indicates we can make sustainable, low-emissions beer from grain to glass,” said Walker Modic, Senior Director of Environmental Programs at New Belgium Brewing.

From farm to fermenter: climate benefits, brewing quality intact

Unlike offset-based sustainability initiatives, this project focused on actual carbon drawdown in the supply chain itself. Using Downforce Technologies’ advanced soil health modeling and U.S. land classification system, Olander Farms hit a soil health score of 84%—representing best-in-class performance, not just good intentions.

For context: Downforce’s system compares 20 soil and land management variables to evaluate real-time carbon sequestration and ecosystem health, creating a reproducible model that’s audit-ready for Scope 3 carbon accounting.

“We’re proud to supply craft malt to breweries and distilleries across the U.S.,” said Todd Olander, Founder and Farmer at Root Shoot Malting. “This project showed our regenerative practices aren’t just good for the land—they’re actively removing carbon from the atmosphere.”

A playbook for resilient, low-emissions beer

Brewing trials confirmed that the climate-smart barley held its own in quality tests, suggesting the model can scale. From a brewery ops perspective, that’s key: meeting sustainability goals without compromising beer flavor, fermentability, or handling is non-negotiable.

The Climate Smart Barley model also builds supply chain resilience—something increasingly relevant as extreme weather disrupts crop consistency.

“Connecting farmers, maltsters, and breweries through verified data can turn climate smart barley into a reliable, resilience-building asset,” said Luke Richards, Head of Product & Business Development (Americas) at Downforce Technologies. “Many consumers are willing to pay more for sustainably produced beer, and Colorado is uniquely positioned to lead in this area.”

Colorado produces more barley than any other state except Idaho, and it’s home to one of the most mature craft beer ecosystems in the country. Projects like this show how those advantages can come together to meet climate and quality expectations at once.