Suntory Links Ribena Supply Chain Investment to Sustainable UK Blackcurrant Farming

Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I is expanding its sustainability work around Ribena by investing in UK blackcurrant farming, processing capacity and climate resilience measures designed to protect one of the brand’s core ingredients.

The company, which produces Ribena and Lucozade in Great Britain and Ireland, recently announced a £14.5 million investment in a new blackcurrant processing facility in Herefordshire. The project is being developed with Döhler Group’s Bevisol Ltd and is expected to support fruit preparation for Ribena production, strengthen domestic supply chains and create 12 full-time jobs as well as 30 seasonal roles. Suntory says it sources blackcurrants from 33 farms across five UK growing regions, representing around 10,500 tonnes of fruit harvested each year during a short six-week season.

For the food and beverage sector, the announcement is significant because it connects several strands of the net zero transition: agricultural resilience, lower-emission manufacturing, biodiversity protection and more secure domestic sourcing. While consumer brands often focus sustainability claims on packaging or factory operations, much of the climate and nature impact of food products sits further upstream, in the farms, ingredients and land management systems that support production.

Building Resilience Into a Key Ingredient

Ribena has relied on British blackcurrants since it was created in 1938, and the crop remains central to the brand’s identity. However, blackcurrant production faces growing pressure from changing weather patterns. The James Hutton Institute notes that blackcurrants need cold winters to support reliable bud break, flowering and ripening. Warmer winters can disrupt this cycle, creating uneven flowering and fruit development, which is a particular challenge for crops harvested mechanically.

To address this risk, Suntory has continued a long-running breeding partnership with the James Hutton Institute. In 2025, the company announced a £920,000 five-year investment to develop new blackcurrant varieties that can deliver consistent yields despite heat, drought, limited winter chilling, pests and disease. The programme also aims to preserve the flavour profile required for Ribena while improving crop reliability for growers.

This kind of varietal research is increasingly important for companies exposed to agricultural commodities. Climate adaptation is no longer a separate issue from commercial supply security. For beverage companies, crop failure or inconsistent yields can increase costs, disrupt production schedules and weaken long-term supplier relationships. For farmers, more resilient varieties can reduce exposure to weather volatility and provide greater confidence when planning investments in land, labour and equipment.

Regenerative Agriculture and Scope 3 Emissions

Suntory is also testing regenerative agriculture practices on blackcurrant farms. A project at Gorgate Farm in Norfolk, developed with the University of East Anglia and Soil Ecology Laboratory, covers much of the farm’s 60 hectares of blackcurrant production. The pilot aims to reduce scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from blackcurrant growing, improve soil health, support plant resilience and increase the soil’s capacity to sequester carbon.

The project includes sap sampling to optimise plant nutrition, use of novel and organic inputs, diverse alleyway swards and compost extracts to restore soil microbiology. These measures are intended to reduce reliance on external inputs while maintaining commercial yields and fruit quality.

For net-zero strategies, this is an important distinction. Regenerative agriculture is often presented as a broad sustainability concept, but corporate climate progress depends on measurable outcomes. Companies need to understand whether changes in soil management, fertilizer use, crop protection and biodiversity support can be tracked, verified and scaled across supply chains. Suntory’s approach suggests that beverage companies are beginning to treat farm-level emissions as a practical part of their climate transition plans, not only as a reputational issue.

Biodiversity as Part of Supply Chain Management

Biodiversity is another major part of Ribena’s blackcurrant programme. Suntory says biodiversity action plans have been in place on Ribena blackcurrant farms since 2004. The brand’s “Six Point Plan” includes hedgerow management, rough grass margins, green headlands, nest boxes, wildflowers and native trees. Ribena states that more than 2,000 nest boxes have been installed across the country.

More recently, SBF GB&I has used AI-powered bioacoustic monitoring to assess birdlife on blackcurrant farms. In a project with the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group South West, recorders were placed across five farms for an average of 48 days. The monitoring identified 83 bird species, including 15 UK red list species and 17 amber list species.

This matters because agriculture is both a driver of biodiversity loss and a sector highly dependent on healthy ecosystems. Hedgerows, grass margins and wildflower areas can support pollinators, natural pest control, soil stability and wider habitat connectivity. For companies making nature-related claims, the next challenge is to move beyond broad commitments and develop repeatable measurement systems that can inform land management decisions.

Processing Investment and Manufacturing Efficiency

The new Herefordshire processing facility is part of a wider £57.5 million investment programme across Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I’s UK supply chain. The company has also announced recent projects at its Coleford factory, including plans to upgrade the site’s electricity connection, reduce reliance on its gas turbine and add a new £25 million manufacturing line in 2027.

The combination of farm-level and factory-level investment reflects a broader shift in food and drink decarbonisation. Companies need to reduce emissions from operations, but they also need to improve the resilience and traceability of their ingredient base. Processing upgrades can support efficiency and supply chain continuity, while farming programmes can address climate adaptation, biodiversity and scope 3 emissions.

Practical Implications for the Sector

Suntory’s Ribena programme highlights how established consumer brands can use long-term supplier relationships to support sustainability goals. The company’s work with growers, researchers and processors offers a model based on partnership rather than short-term procurement.

For other food and beverage companies, the key lesson is that climate resilience requires investment before disruption becomes acute. Ingredient sourcing strategies increasingly need to include crop breeding, grower support, biodiversity monitoring, soil health and local processing capacity. These measures may not deliver immediate emissions reductions at the same speed as switching electricity contracts or redesigning packaging, but they can protect the long-term viability of products that depend on climate-sensitive crops.

For farmers, such programmes can provide access to technical expertise, research partnerships and more stable demand. For policymakers, they show how private investment can complement public innovation funding in agriculture and food production. For investors, they provide an example of how climate adaptation and supply chain resilience are becoming material business issues for consumer goods companies.

Ribena’s blackcurrant supply chain is a relatively specific case, but the underlying challenge is much broader. As climate change affects crop yields, water availability, pests and growing seasons, companies will need to demonstrate that sustainability commitments are embedded in the systems that produce their ingredients. Suntory’s recent investments show how this transition is beginning to move from corporate targets into fields, processing sites and long-term supplier planning.

Source: sustainabilitymag.com