10
Nov
National Campaign Urges Breweries To Transition to Organic, a Growing Share of the Market
(Beyond Pesticides, November 10, 2025) With a small but growing organic beer market, Beyond Pesticides is urging breweries to align with ecological farming practices and to seek out organic sources for their ingredients. In a June 2025 release, the marketing research firm Data Bridge reports that, “The global organic beer market size was valued at USD 7.24 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 11.90 billion by 2032, at a CAGR [Compound Annual Growth Rate] of 6.4% during the forecast period.” The company attributes the growth to “health-conscious and environmentally-aware consumers” and finds “rising consumer preference for organic and clean-label beverages,” with consumers “actively seeking beer options made with organic hops, malt, and natural ingredients, free from synthetic pesticides or GMOs [genetically modified organisms].”
Harmful pesticides, including glyphosate, 2,4-D, and other toxic herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, are used in the production of the ingredients of beer. Residues may remain in barley, oats, wheat, and hops used to make beer. Not only do the residues pose a risk to beer drinkers, but growing these crops nonorganically threatens farmworkers, waterways, wildlife, and pollinators.
More than 800 million pounds of pesticides are used each year in U.S. agriculture, with devastating impacts on soil life, pollinators, and ecosystem health. Harm to the soil microbiome and invertebrates like worms and beetles is magnified by synergistic interactions with chemical fertilizers, undermining the foundation of our food system. Agriculture is implicated in the “insect apocalypse,” which has seen one-quarter of the global insect population lost since 1990. When pesticides run off into our waterways, they threaten aquatic wildlife like fish and pollute our drinking water.
- There are 58 pesticides with established tolerance for barley, 22 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers, 53 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer), 18 contaminate streams or groundwater, and 49 are poisonous to wildlife, and 19 pesticides used on barley are considered toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators.
- There are 56 pesticides with established tolerance for oats, 20 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers, 53 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer), 18 contaminate streams or groundwater, and 49 are poisonous to wildlife, and 23 pesticides used on oats are considered toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators.
- There are 68 pesticides with established tolerance for wheat, 25 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers, 61 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer), 23 contaminate streams or groundwater, 57 are poisonous to wildlife, and 26 pesticides used on wheat are considered toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators.
- There are 74 pesticides with established tolerance for hops, 28 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers, 65 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer), 18 contaminate streams or groundwater, 63 are poisonous to wildlife, and 26 pesticides used on hops are considered toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators.
Regenerative organic farming is the gold standard, and organic is backed by a rigorous legal standard. Synthetic fertilizers and more than 900 synthetic pesticides otherwise allowed in agriculture are prohibited in organic. Regenerative organic agriculture is a holistic and natural approach that enhances biodiversity, water retention, and crop yields. It also protects farmworkers, like those who care for and harvest hops, from exposure to harmful pesticides.
The use of toxic pesticides is at odds with growing consumer concerns about health and the environment. Beer drinkers are increasingly seeking sustainable options, as evidenced by the growth in organic and craft beers that emphasize natural ingredients and environmental stewardship.
For more information on organic beer, see As Organic Beer Market Grows, Connoisseurs of Organic Cold Ones Can Be Proud of This Story.
Letter to Beer Producers
I urge your company to protect the health of people, pollinators, and the planet by eliminating the use of harmful pesticides in your supply chain, starting with barley and hops. The harm to biodiversity caused by common pesticides is a material risk for brewers. Barley, oats, wheat, and hops, the key ingredients in beer production, rely on healthy soil and healthy ecosystems to grow.
Over 800 million pounds of pesticides used each year in U.S. agriculture have devastating impacts on soil life, pollinators, and ecosystem health, magnified by synergistic interactions with chemical fertilizers. Agriculture is implicated in the loss of one-quarter of the global insect population since 1990. Pesticides running off into our waterways threaten aquatic life and pollute our drinking water.
*58 pesticides have established tolerances for barley; 22 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers; 53 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer); 18 contaminate streams or groundwater; 49 are poisonous to wildlife; and 19 are toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators.
*There are 74 pesticides with established tolerance for hops, 28 are acutely toxic creating a hazardous environment for farmworkers, 65 are linked to chronic health problems (such as cancer), 18 contaminate streams or groundwater, 63 are poisonous to wildlife, and 26 pesticides used on hops are considered toxic to honey bees and other insect pollinators.
I appreciate the sustainability efforts that your company has already undertaken and urge you to build on this foundation by implementing ecological pesticide management and working with suppliers of barley, hops, and other grains to phase out the use of harmful pesticides associated with widespread harm to biodiversity and human health.
Regenerative organic farming is the gold standard, and organic is backed by a rigorous legal standard that prohibits synthetic fertilizers and over 900 synthetic pesticides used in agriculture. Regenerative organic agriculture is a holistic and natural approach that enhances biodiversity, water retention, and crop yields. It also protects farmworkers, like those who care for and harvest hops, from exposure to harmful pesticides.
The use of toxic pesticides is at odds with growing consumer concerns about health and the environment. Beer drinkers are increasingly seeking sustainable options, as evidenced by the growth in organic and craft beers that emphasize natural ingredients and environmental stewardship. Overall, organic sales growth outstrips that of the total food marketplace—with $71.6 billion in sales in 2024, a 5.2% increase from the previous year.
As a significant player in the beer industry, you have an opportunity to lead the way on sustainable agricultural practices protecting people, pollinators, and water quality while meeting consumer demand for environmentally responsible products. I urge you to:
*Make a time-bound and measurable commitment to eliminate harmful pesticides from the company’s supply chains, beginning with barley and hops.
*Work with suppliers to implement alternative, least-toxic pest management strategies, starting with IPM and including organic farming practices.
*Act with transparency by publicly disclosing company policies, actions, and progress toward these goals.
I see these actions as part of a broader effort to adopt sustainable agriculture practices across your entire supply chain, to benefit your brand’s reputation, product quality, and long-term business resilience.
Thank you.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
