NEW YORK — Less than 1% of America’s farmland is organic and American farmers hoping to transition their fields to organic face monumental challenges.
Michelob Ultra Pure Gold launched its 60-second Super Bowl spot featuring 6 For 6-Pack, a new program that allows consumers to join the brand in helping farmers transition six square feet of farmland into organic with each purchase of a six-pack of Michelob Ultra Pure Gold.
Michelob Ultra Pure Gold — the first national beer brand to be U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic — is on a mission to help U.S. farmers who have an interest in converting to organic farming by assisting them through the transition process, which can be time consuming and challenging without support.
A portion of sales from each Pure Gold six-pack will go directly to farmers looking to transition to organic, allowing consumers to help drive change.
“There’s an imbalance between consumer preference for organic products and the amount of organic farmland we currently have in the U.S. to support this need,” said Azania Andrews, Michelob Ultra vice president of marketing.
“The future of organic beer relies on more farmers converting to organic. We feel a responsibility to help provide choice and support to those who want to transition, so that together we can help farmers sustain and grow their business and provide consumers the products they want.”
6 For 6-Pack is an expansion of an existing program launched in 2019 called Contract for Change. Contract for Change offers three- to six-year transitional barley contracts with premiums for transitional and organic barley production.
Anheuser-Busch’s expert agronomists are working in partnership with the CCOF Foundation, the leading organization in organic certification and training, to provide technical assistance to farmers as they navigate the steps required to grow certified organic crops.
As demand for organic barley increases, Contract for Change aims to inspire the entire organic industry to assist farmers during the transition process by paying a premium for transitional and organic products and providing the needed technical training for farmers to succeed.
The 6 For 6-Pack program will provide the additional funds needed to expand Contract for Change and help increase the 1% of organic farmland.
“We are eager to help farmers transition to organic production through the visionary Contract for Change program. Michelob Ultra is truly an organic champion and we are inspired by their commitment to helping farmers overcome barriers, while advancing the benefits of organic agriculture throughout the United States,” said Kelly Damewood, CEO of CCOF.
Tied to Anheuser-Busch’s Better World efforts, 6 For 6-Pack also aligns with the company achieving its 2025 U.S. Sustainability Goals, one of which focuses on Smart Agriculture and financial empowerment across the company’s 1,000 direct contract barley, rice and hops farmers.
With the success of Pure Gold, Michelob Ultra recognizes the importance of making organic ingredients more accessible, and this starts with supporting farmers in local communities across the country.
“I want to thank Anheuser-Busch for their continued support of farmers. The efforts put forward by Michelob Ultra Pure Gold with their ‘Contract for Change’ program have created opportunity for American barley farmers to diversify and capture extra value for their production,” said Buzz Mattelin, president of the National Barley Growers Association. “We are excited that Americans can now participate with the new 6 For 6-Pack program.”
For more information on 6 For 6-pack, visit PureGold.com, or follow @MichelobULTRA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.