Customers

Customers

Commodities with a reduced carbon footprint

Cefetra works with farmers to produce commodities with an improved environmental footprint. Through out direct involvement in the agricultural supply chain we can generate, account, and transfer environmental attributes from farm to fork. Our unique position in the supply chain allows us to act as the bridge between the farmer and consumer adding an extra layer of traceability.

We offer certified reductions and removals, achieved directly on farms through sustainable practices within the agricultural supply chain. These regenerative farming outcomes are retained throughout the supply chain enabling scope 3 claims.

The reduction in emissions is achieved through a range of regenerative farming practices executed by farmers under our programme such as cover cropping, optimised fertiliser use, and extensive crop rotations.

In turn, this commitment to sustainable farming allows us to offer a diverse portfolio of commodities, including a wide selection of grains, oilseeds, high-value co-products, and access to the farming data that our customers need to support their businesses.

Through our offer, we aim to help you to improve future supply resilience whilst reducing Scope 3 emissions and contributing positively to farming systems within your supply chain.

Cefetra sells grains together with certified environmental impact data from regenerative farming

Our impact

30000

Hectares

15

+

Commodities

70

+

Committed Farmers

Our portfolio of carbon reduced commodities:

Wheat

Barley

Corn

Oats

Rapeseed

Beans

Co-products

Helping customers meet their Scope 3 targets

We offer a diverse portfolio of certified carbon reduced commodities designed to help our customers reduce their Scope 3 emissions. Through sustainable farming practices, these commodities achieve lower carbon footprints directly on the farm. For more information on the farming practices, visit the FAQs section at the bottom of this page.

Together with these agricultural materials, we provide customers with access to primary farm data to help them achieve their objectives and goals.

The whole supply chain benefits

Farmers get value for achieving on-farm emission reductions

Customers meet their Scope 3 reduction targets

Stakeholders share in the programme’s benefits

We build resilience in the agricultural supply chain

Our customers

Maltsters, brewers & distillers

Millers
& bakers

Feed
compounders

Pet food & aqua feed producers

Energy
producers

Food
producers

Impact of agricultural emissions on various industries

Across our customer industries, the emissions from farming significantly vary but can be as high as 80% in the case of a dozen of eggs and as little as a 5% in the case of a grass-fed cow. Despite this wide range, one thing is clear: emissions from agricultural production have a direct impact in the total emissions of companies. For example, in the milling industry, nearly 60% of the emissions from an average 250-gram baguette come from agriculture. In the case of beer, the figure is closer to 25%.

For most companies, agriculture lies outside their direct control, yet achieving meaningful emissions reductions often requires engaging with partners who can provide verifiable improvements at the farm level. By offering grains with certified environmental impact data from regenerative farming, Cefetra empowers customers to take actionable steps towards reducing their total emissions.

MALT-BEER

“By partnering with Cefetra, we can implement sustainable interventions directly within our supply chain”

Yvan Schaepman, CEO Boortmalt

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Here, you will find a list of frequently asked questions along with their answers. If you have any additional inquiries, please don’t hesitate to fill out the form at the bottom of the page.

There is currently no universally recognized definition of regenerative agriculture. At Cefetra, we view regenerative agriculture as a set of practices aimed at improving soil health by building organic matter and restoring biodiversity with the aim of building more resilient supply chains, capable of withstanding extreme weather events. Our programme aims to implement practices that can be continued indefinitely, whilst maintaining productivity and improving agricultural soil, water management. and biodiversity. Ultimately, regenerative agriculture is about food security. Additionally, we see regenerative agriculture as an approach to farming that integrates sustainability with social and economic considerations such as farm economics and fostering innovation.

Carbon-reduced commodities are produced using practices that fall under the “regenerative farming” umbrella. These practices include cover cropping, minimised soil disturbance, implementing crop rotations, reducing synthetic inputs such as fertilisers, using organic inputs, and integrating livestock, among others. At Cefetra we believe that farmers have the best understanding of their own farms. Hence, while we may encourage them to adopt various regenerative practices, our program is non-prescriptive, giving farmers flexibility in managing their operations. Implementing changes incurs costs and this has an economic risk for farmers.  Hence, the programme compensates for this.

Regenerative agriculture and organic agriculture are not synonyms and differ in their core principles and objectives.

Organic farming primarily focuses on avoiding synthetic pesticides and genetically modified organisms to promote ecological balance and maintain physical health. Organic agriculture is prescriptive and adheres to defined standards, such as those established by EU Organic Program or the USDA National Organic Program.

Regenerative farming aims at restoring and enhancing the entire ecosystem to ensure longevity, productivity and resilience of the food and feed supply chains.  It involves practices that increase soil organic matter, improve biodiversity, and actively regenerate soil health, making it more resilient to climate extremes. Regenerative agriculture also emphasises carbon sequestration, using techniques like cover cropping and no-till farming to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide in the soil. Additionally, there is no regenerative standard and farmers practicing regenerative practices may integrate one, two, three, or as many regenerative practices as they deem fit for their farming operations.

Hence, with organic farming the claimed benefits are more individualistic (e.g., individual health benefits) while for regenerative farming they are more holistic (e.g., more resilient sourcing regions for specific industries). By nature, personalised benefits are much more expensive to deliver compared to those applying to larger numbers of producers and consumers.

Furthermore, the production costs for organic products are substantially higher due to the significant yield penalty associated with growing chemical and GMO-free commodities. Furthermore, organic products require segregation and identity preservation throughout the entire supply chain, contributing to the higher premiums they command compared to regenerative products which do not necessitate physical segregation.

All commodities produced under the Cefetra Ecosystem Services farming programme are certified according to the ISO 14064-02 standard. The reduction and removals associated with the production of carbon reduced commodities are calculated using the Soil Capital framework and are third party audited by TÜV Rheinland.

Insetting involves implementing carbon reduction projects within a company’s own supply chain, such as a maltster working directly with their farm suppliers to adopt sustainable practices like minimised soil disturbance or improved fertiliser management. Investments make a direct difference to the impact of the raw materials and, subsequently, products produced from them. Offsetting, on the other hand, involves purchasing carbon credits from external projects to compensate for emissions, typically outside of the company’s direct operations.  For example, avoiding deforestation on one continent makes no difference to the environmental impact of producing a car on another. In our case, the carbon-reduced commodities supplied to customers represent an inset, as the carbon reductions occur directly on the farm and are specific to the Cefetra supply chain.

At Cefetra, we recognise that farmers are the key drivers of the transition to resilient supply chains. Our agronomists and farm teams collaborate with farmers to create long-term plans that align with their unique circumstances of each farm. Moreover, our account managers help farmers estimate the earning potential of these practices and provide any additional support needed.

To support them in adopting climate-positive practices, we offer a range of tools, resources and mechanisms to enable change. Premium Crops, a division of Cefetra Ltd, offers a variety of cover crops and companion crops under the Cefetra Ecosystem Services brand, for farmers in our program. Additionally, our Cefetra inputs business supplies farmers with seeds and fertilisers, offering less carbon intensive alternatives to synthetic options.

With the increasing number of sustainability commitments in the food and beverage supply chain, there has been a surge in product development and innovation aimed at achieving Net Zero. This includes green fertilisers, direct drill machinery, and financial instruments like green loans, all targeted at farmers.

Hence, farmers often face many options and hear too many voices from various stakeholders, creating confusion about how to best utilize these offers. To address this, we partner with different stakeholders to serve as a one-stop shop, enabling farmers to access payments for sustainable practices.  

Resources

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News, insights and events

Sustainable Foods 2025

Meet Us at Low Carbon Agriculture Show 2025

Cefetra Reaches Groundbreaking Partnership with Boortmalt

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Get in touch

Contact our specialists by mail at ecosystemservices@cefetra.co.uk

Make an inquiry

Want to find out more about our range of carbon-reduced commodities? Get in touch with us today!

Send an email to ecosystemservices@cefetra.co.uk or fill in the contact form.

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