The Australian brewing sector contributes $16 billion a year to the national economy, research by the Brewers Association of Australia has found.
It also supports nearly 100,000 full time equivalent jobs, Brewers Association CEO John Preston said.
“This new report shows just how important brewing is for our agricultural sector.
“Australians overwhelmingly drink beer brewed in Australia made with Australian ingredients sourced from Aussie farms. These new figures show that Australian brewers sourced almost $500 million worth of barley and hops from farms across Australia,” Preston said.
From an agricultural perspective, that production supports almost 3000 FTE jobs.
“We all recognise the role that enjoying a beer plays in Australia’s culture but the report we are publishing today shows the true scale of brewing’s importance for our economy and communities and the significant shift that Australians have made to mid-strength beer consumption.”
The research was conducted by ACIL Allen for the association and underpinned its Australian Brewing: Our Economic and Social Contribution report.
Australia’s brewers source over one million tonnes of malting barley from Australian farmers every year and Australian hops are internationally renowned, with growers in Tasmania and Victoria producing over 1600 metric tonnes a year.
GrainGrowers welcomed the research, with chair Rhys Turton saying it confirmed “without a doubt” that “a top drop starts way back in the paddock”.
“Our grain growers welcome the strong working relationship with the brewing sector. Growers across Australia deliver around a million tonnes of top-quality malting barley annually, enabling brewers to get on with the serious business of quenching thirsts across Australia,” he said.
Turton said the move by some brewers to direct sourcing from farmers reinforced the vital links, helping brewers better understand production variables and allowing consumers to know precisely where the barley was grown.
While beer consumption has been declining, the report shows there are still plenty of Australians who still love a beer, drinking just over 2.5 billion pints of domestically produced and retailed beer in 2020-21 with a total retail value of around $17 billion a year.
Preston said drinkers were also embracing responsible drinking, with mid-strength beer consumption increasing 130 per cent over the past 25 years. Per capita consumption of pure alcohol from beer has dropped by more than 30 per cent in the past 25 years but are increasingly incorporating mid-strength and zero-alcohol beer into their drinking choices.
