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The company behind Johnnie Walker whisky has announced plans to introduce a regenerative agriculture programme across several Scottish farms.

Diageo, which also makes Don Julio tequila and Guinness, has launched the scheme across its barley and wheat production in a bid to reduce carbon emissions.

The company said it hopes the programme, which will look at locally adapted practices such as cover crops, reduced cultivations and crop rotations, will generate a number of ‘positive on-farm outcomes' such as enhanced biodiversity, improved water stewardship, carbon reduction and better soil health management. 

See also: Edging into regenerative farming bit by bit, one farmer's story

Ewan Andrew, president of Global Supply Chain & Procurement and chief sustainability officer, said: "As we commit to continued investment in long term business growth, we are excited to expand our regenerative farming work more formally beyond our current Guinness programme in Ireland.

"The scotch whisky brands have such a strong connection to their local communities, and as we build increased resilience and productivity across our end-to-end supply chains, we are building broader partnerships to enhance the impact of regenerative farming practices at scale."

The first phase of the whisky programme will focus on approximately 20 farms in three key barley and wheat sourcing regions in Scotland for brands including Johnnie Walker, Talisker and The Singleton.