The spirits sector is grounded in European agriculture and its long-term sustainability. From the vine growers who improve the health of our soils whilst producing a fine Cognac to the millions of tonnes of sustainably grown grain which goes into our whiskies along to the by-products used to feed our livestock and pigs, we care deeply about agriculture and helping those who work in it to produce as sustainably and profitably as possible whilst reducing its environmental footprint.

But our sustainability efforts extend beyond the farm gate and run right through our operations. From the use of renewable energy and recycled materials to lowering the carbon footprint of our routes to market, we are constantly innovating to decarbonize our supply chain and generally lighten our environmental footprint.

In this panel session, we will be joined by policy-makers, growers and experts to explore this further. In particular, we’ll ask our panel and audience:

• How do you view the link between agriculture and the spirits sector and the efforts to improve environmental and decarbonized outcomes across the supply chain?

• What more could the spirits sector do to support farmers and other actors in the supply chain to make the transition?

• How can the EU policy-making framework better support these efforts?
  

Join our special guests, Esther Herranz-García MEP, Co-Chair of the Wine & Spirits Intergroup and Gijs Schilthuis, Director of Sustainability, DG AGRI, European Commission, to discuss and debate these and other questions.