Sustainability

Hopsteiner is a leading global group of companies in the hop growing industry. Accountable and conscientious in all facts of the hop market, environment, employees and corporate citizenship has been deeply rooted in our identity since our foundation in 1845. We will make sure that the natural product hops, the basis of our business model, remains available to us in high quality for the long term. Therefore we breed, produce, trade, advise, and research entirely in the interest of sustainability.

Our commitment to sustainablity

Thinking tommorow today

We continuously review our activities so that we can employ suitable new approaches to help conserve the earth’s resources. These principles apply to the cultivation, processing and trade of hops. As a leading player in the hop industry, we are fully aware that our practices have an impact on the global sustainability network.

Hopsteiner ESRS sustainability report 2024 Hopsteiner sustainability highlight report 2024

Market

Our value chain

Our company’s value chain: raw material procurement, processing, refining, manufacturing, logistics, sales, and disposal. We consider ecological, economic, and social aspects at every stage. In this way we align our business model toward long-term success – in harmony with sustainable development.

Our stakeholders

We are firmly rooted in our communities as a major employer and supporter of the hop-growing regions in which we operate. We maintain close dialogue and ongoing contact with the socially relevant groups while upholding clear values through our mission statement and Code of Conduct. We promote sustainable hop cultivation and support long-term partnerships with growers through fair compensation, digital tools, and open communication to reliably serve our customers.

Our customers

Our goal is to provide high-quality hops while offering customers specialist knowledge and technical support. This commitment is deeply rooted in our corporate philosophy and helps us build long-term, trust-based relationships. To better serve our main customers in the beer sector, we expanded our 5 hl pilot brewery in 2022 with a meeting room and taproom, allowing customers to experience how specific hop varieties impact their beer. Furthermore, our own propagation unit has now has a technical capacity of around 120,000 plants per year, with the ability to scale up to 180,000 if required. This strategic step is seen not merely as a technical requirement but as a central pillar of effective implementation of varieties.

Opportunities and risks

Three external factors considerably affect our business activities: climate change, changes in consumer behavior, legally imposed restrictions on pesticide use, which increase the risk of disease and pest damage. We counter these challenges by investing in research, expert advice on growing and crop protection, and our innovative plant breeding program. In addition, there is a noticeable decline in demand for alcoholic beverages and hops, so we focus more strongly on the innovation potential of non-alcoholic beverages (special oil products, hop products) and the expansion of products in the fields of biotechnology and medicine.

Quality assurance

We take responsibility for the purity of our products and for their compliance with food safety regulations. By closely linking the preparation of raw materials and our processing, we guarantee products of the highest quality for our customers. Our quality management system encompasses the entire hop supply chain – from the hop growers through processing and storage to final delivery – ensuring traceability, sustainability, and consistent quality at every stage.

Innovation and research

Our focus lies on research, expert advice on growing and crop protection, and our innovative plant breeding program. This ensures creating hop varieties that meet the demands of climate change, requiring less water and pesticides while maintaining yield and resistance to diseases and pests. We also prioritize quality, aroma, and bitterness for the brewing industry, with varieties like Nobella, Akoya and Solero. Our research includes projects like using sensors and metabolomics to improve breeding efficiency. Our innovations since 2024 include several special hop oils and aroma extracts, including LLZ™ and SalvoPlus®.

Environment

Resource management

Responsible business practices, sustainable cultivation, and prudent use of resources are the bases of our business concept. We advocate careful selection and handling of raw materials and resources at every stage of our product processing. We support our suppliers through climate-adapted hop varieties that require less water and pesticides, along with guidance on cultivation, plant protection, and precise irrigation management.

Emissions

Affected by climate change, we are also committed to minimizing our own impact. We focus on improving energy efficiency, using renewable energy sources, and maintaining certified management systems according to ISO 50001 and 14001. Our climate strategy follows the Paris Agreement and EU regulations.

Employees

Equal opportunities

We treat all employees in our company fairly and equally. Our attitude to the topics of anti-discrimination and equal opportunities is set out in our Code of Conduct. As an employer, we provide an appreciative, family-friendly working environment, reasonable pay, a needs-based workspace design, and flexitime working. This creates a lasting, pleasant atmosphere – our employees feel comfortable with us. Our company is noted for its high retention & low turnover of its employees.

Occupational safety and health protection

Safety is our top priority, and we prioritize employee well-being. We strictly follow legal standards for working conditions, hours, and occupational safety. Given the physical demands of some tasks, we emphasize safety measures. A designated employee oversees occupational safety, supported by safety officers, and advises the works council.

corporate
citizenship

Commitment and donations

Mainburg, in the Hallertau hop-growing region, has been our home for decades. As a key employer and sponsor, we engage closely with the community, supporting regional projects and small-scale farming. We encourage employee volunteerism, such as releasing Volunteer Fire Brigade members for emergencies, and host fire brigade exercises. Our donations focus on social causes, hop culture, and research, supporting local organizations and institutions like the German Hop Museum, the Technical University of Munich, the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences besides others.