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Endless Beer Possibilities: Turning Brewing By-Products into Agricultural Innovation
Asahi Group is renowned for its great tasting beer, but we are equally committed to finding innovative ways to utilize by-products from the brewing process. Beer yeast consists of mainly two components: a nutrient rich extract and cell walls surrounding the yeast. While the extract has long been used in products such as digestive aids, nutritional supplements, and seasonings, the insolubility of the cell walls has historically limited their applications. However, years of research by the Asahi Group have resulted in a novel agricultural material made from these yeast cell walls. This development holds potential for reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. This article looks at the benefits of this innovative new agricultural material.
The inspiration for developing this material came from livestock producers who noticed that animals fed with beer yeast were healthier and less prone to illness. This observation prompted research into whether beer yeast cell walls could also enhance plant immunity and growth.
After nearly a decade of study, Asahi Biocycle, one of our group companies promoting businesses based on beneficial bacterial solutions and fermentation technologies, succeeded in developing an agricultural product that improves plant root growth, boosts disease resistance, and increases crop yields, all reducing the need for pesticides. The material also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit yield contributing to sustainable agriculture practices by repurposing a by-product from our main business, beer production. Let us introduce you to a real-world example of this material.
One of the most innovative uses of this material can be found at Fukuda Farm in the remote Abashiri region of Hokkaido where traditionally, cold temperature made rice cultivation impossible. This farm is now exploring upland rice cultivation using our materials derived from beer yeast cell walls.
Upland rice cultivation uses dry fields instead of water flooded paddies, significantly reducing water consumption, and greenhouse gas (methane) emissions – both critical factors in fighting climate change.
After experimenting with various conditions and rice varieties, Fukuda Farm successfully harvested its first rice crop in 2020 by incorporating beer yeast cell walls derived material.
The material helps strengthen plant immunity, root network, and improve nutrient uptake, enabling the rice to grow despite the region’s harsh conditions. Fukuda Farm’s initial modest yield of around 300 grams is expected to skyrocket to about 5 metric tons of polished rice in 2024. Their initiative is setting an inspiring example of a new sustainable rice cultivation model.
As you see, this beer yeast cell walls derived materials not only boosts plant growth but also promote environmental preservation. Methane, which accounts for about 47% of Japan’s agriculture, forestry, and fisheries’ greenhouse gas emissions is primarily generated by rice paddies, accounting for 57% of the total. So how is this methane gas generated?
*Overview of the Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures in Agriculture June 1st, 2024, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan. (Japanese report)
The beer yeast cell walls derived material is also being used in an initiative to tackle food shortages around the world. Asahi Biocycle is part of a project led by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to export Japanese rice to emerging nations facing food shortages.
This project involves testing dry direct-seeding method* that further minimize water usage for rice cultivation using Asahi’s material. The innovative model has the potential to offer sustainable alternative to farming, as well as a low-cost, labor-saving solution to address Japan’s rice farming sector’s challenges of underutilized or abandoned farmland and a shrinking agricultural workforce. Through this project, we are committed to making a meaningful impact by helping address global challenges like food insecurity by exporting low-cost Japan quality rice to countries facing food shortages.
*Water saving dry direct-seeding method is a rice cultivation method that sows the seeds in a dry paddy. After the seeds have sprouted, water is added but not fill the field. Compared to the water-filled paddy cultivation, this method is known to be suitable for countering climate change as it is expected to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions such as methane gas and reduce the use of water resources. It is also a cost- and labor-saving method since it eliminates the need for traditional plowing, flooding, tilling, seedbed preparation and rice planting.
This method that eliminates post-germination flooding, further reduces cost and labor relative to the standard dry direct-seeding method.
Beyond agriculture, beer yeast cell walls are also being used to maintain golf courses, parks, and school facilities green. Since 2019, they have helped the maintenance of the natural turf at Hanshin Koshien Baseball Stadium. While these uses are exciting, we believe there are many more potential applications waiting to be discovered. What we introduced here are only some examples of the known benefits of the beer yeast cell walls today.
The Asahi Group will continue its research into upcycling brewing by-products, striving to develop sustainable solutions that contribute to making the world shine.
For updates on Asahi’s sustainability initiatives follow us on LinkedIn. (English only)
