Farm to Glass: Assessing how farms can benefit from future trends in the drinks industry

To encourage farmers to identify emerging trends and opportunities in the drinks sector, I set out on my travels to conduct beverage research, explore consumer preferences, and discover market opportunities. I hoped to uncover the next big drinks trend, the new 'craft gin' craze. I could see there was an enormous opportunity to diversify into drinks production in the UK that farmers could take advantage of. Drinks provide great scope for scalable businesses and allow farmers to grow crops with value-added production on farms.

The title of my report was broad and wide-ranging; after beginning my Nuffield in 2021, my focus turned to farming sustainably and this coincided with the DEFRA farm policy change to the Environmental Land Management scheme. It is a time of significant change in agricultural policy in the UK and these changes can be seen as an obstacle or a great opportunity. Although there will always be uncertainty surrounding policy change, there is no denying the growth in the consumer trend for sustainably produced food and drink. This is something farmers cannot ignore, both in their farming systems and wider on-farm businesses. After my initial extensive research, I focused on drinks that can be produced with sustainable ingredients that are grown in a way that encourages biodiversity and the move towards a regenerative farming future.

To do this, I travelled to dozens of drinks producers, vineyards and plantations in California, France, Italy, the UK, and Georgia to look at large and small drinks producers as well as learning from macro to micro businesses. During my visits, I found that a common thread emerged. Most notably, 'Farm to Glass' is not a recognised term or a defined concept in the UK or the other countries I visited. In contrast, the term 'Farm to Table' is widely recognised and understood, reinforced by the ‘Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy’ that is a key part of the European Green Deal. Similarly acknowledged is eating local produce as part of a ‘slow food movement’, an established global organisation that aims to promote "good, clean, and fair" food.  There is a disconnect between the consumer and the drinks producer, and this is due in part to the fact that drinks are not seen in the same way as food. Until now, drink ‘miles’, quality of ingredients, and traceability of supply chain in drinks have not been a consideration. However, consumers are increasingly looking for transparency and accountability from producers.

I believe 'Farm to Glass' is the ability to connect a farmer to a beverage. It doesn't need to be a circular system of growing ingredients and making a product on the farm. However, there needs to be clear transparency between the farmer and the local distiller, winemaker, or brewer. Furthermore, 'Farm to Glass' enables and empowers farmers to get a fair rather than a commodity price for the crops they grow. There is the chance to sell locally or export, which brings benefits to the wider local community, keeping people involved in agriculture and creating employment.

Predicting future trends in the drinks industry has been challenging; during my study, I realised that creating or being part of a 'trend' does not necessarily equate to long-term success. Trends run their course; you must find something you are passionate about producing that has a niche characteristic for longevity in the market. If you make a high-quality product with integrity, you will be able to sell it. I have yet to find the golden ticket tipple, but I learned many lessons. The overarching trend I have discovered is that sustainable production is the future; sustainability will be a lasting trend as it is a necessity.

“For decades, across the world, heritage and traditions were dying and biodiversity was in decline. There is a new generation of producers all determined to make drinks that belong to a more diverse and deeper story.”(D. Saldino, 2023)