Sentera and AB InBev to Enhance Delivery Of Sustainability and Grower Empowerment Services
The recent partnership announcement is one under which Sentera will deliver critical enabling technology for AB InBev’s SmartBarley platform which will then help growers to improve their productivity and secure the supply chain of the future.
“We are excited to support AB InBev around sustainability and grower empowerment,” said Eric Taipale, CEO at Sentera. “AB InBev has made a powerful set of commitments to its growers, customers, and stakeholders. Likewise, Sentera’s technology has repeatedly demonstrated that farmer success, economic empowerment, and sustainable practices go hand-in-hand. This is a dramatic first for the CPG market, and we are proud to be teamed with AB InBev in this effort.”
The idea of both organizations coming together is one that will enable SmartBarley to use Sentera’s technology to deliver unique agronomic insights with incredible, acre-by-acre precision. AB InBev’s team of expert agronomists will access this data to deliver value for some of their most valuable partners – the farmers that produce the high-quality ingredients inside AB InBev’s products.
Driven by real-time weather data, satellite, drone, and mobile phone imagery, and field activity information, SmartBarley’s analytics and alerting tools give agronomists unparalleled capability to rapidly detect problems, analyze alternatives, and work with farmers to take action. Precise, accurate data enables tailored application of crop inputs and water resources, eliminating over application and overuse of products and delivering the insights needed for growers to optimize land stewardship.
As such, the partnership will serve as means of ensuring high beneficial values for the farmer in particular. AB InBev is a known source of livelihood support of farming communities worldwide through teams of researchers and agronomists working directly with over 30,000 farmers to grow beer ingredients. In addition to having access to powerful tools, data and insights, farmers will be supported as part of AB InBev’s sustainability 2025 initiative, which aims to help farmers become more skilled, connected and financially empowered
“Partnering with Sentera allows us to dramatically accelerate progress toward achieving our 2025 sustainability goal to ensure 100% of our direct farmers are skilled, connected and financially empowered,” said Ezgi Barcenas, global vice president of sustainability at AB InBev. “Technology and innovation play pivotal roles in reaching our goal as well as ensuring the long-term viability of our supply chains. Sentera is a key strategic partner in helping us achieve this commitment.”
On the other hand, Sentera works with many of the largest agriculture, forestry, and consumer-packaged goods companies to help drive efficiency and productivity through AI-driven digital insights.
According to Taipale, the partnership with AB InBev aligns with Sentera’s mission and core competencies, “We strive to lead the market for in-season insights that maximize yield and profitability and help create a sustainable, secure global food supply,” Taipale said. “AB InBev is the perfect partner in this effort.”
