Contract for Change is a direct agreement between farmers and Anheuser-Busch to transform America’s agriculture. To introduce Contract for Change to the farming community, we developed a hyper-targeted campaign that called upon all American farmers. Personalized copies of the contract were sent across the nation, while Anheuser-Busch agronomists partnered with organic trade groups to discuss the program in their communities. In support we used local media (radio, print, and wild-postings) in rural towns, adapted to each state. Targeted Facebook ads, email, and agricultural publications also spread the word. A special phone number allowed farmers to inquire directly about the contract.

Anheuser-Busch strongly believes businesses should serve their consumers, partners, and the world they operate in. That’s why sustainability is at the core of everything the company does. In 2018, this belief inspired Anheuser-Busch to create Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold, the first mass organic beer in America. An instant success. But as the need for organic ingredients grew, we confronted a shocking reality: barely 1% of U.S. farmland is organic and farmers were unable to make the organic transition–even though they want nothing more than to grow natural food again. Building on the mantra “do good, do well”, Anheuser-Busch saw an opportunity to leverage its economical might as the world’s largest brewer and to lead the change towards a healthier, more sustainable, organic farming system. But to do so, it needed to call upon all American farmers.

Contract for Change is a revolutionary agreement between one of the world’s largest buyers of grain–Anheuser-Busch–and American farmers, created to change the future of America’s agriculture. It sets farmers up for a successful organic transition by addressing the three biggest barriers they confront:

• Farmers sign today and are guaranteed that Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold will be their first organic customer after the 3-year transition.

• Anheuser-Busch commits to buy crops grown during the transition for its yearly production of non- organic beers at a 25% higher price, so farmers don’t lose money.

• The contract provides in-depth training in organic farming practices, through the most trusted agricultural organizations such as the Organic Trade Association and the United States Department of Agriculture.

We spent time getting to know farmers, to really understand the barriers they face when transitioning their land to organic. We learned that we needed to come up with a concrete, scalable and long-term solution that at the same time could be communicated easily to the farming community. That solution was Contract for Change.

To develop the contract, we brought Anheuser-Busch agronomists, marketers, supply chain managers and legal teams together with the most important and trusted agricultural organizations, such as The Organic Trade Association, California Certified Organic Farmers, the Idaho Barley Commission, Sustainable Food Lab and the United States Department of Agriculture.

To call upon American farmers, we knew we had to speak directly to them, using their preferred media. So, we developed a hyper-targeted and local media strategy, tailored to each state. We also set up a special phone number that allowed farmers to inquire directly about the contract.

After a short pilot of Contract for Change in 2019, we called upon all American farmers to contact us and begin their organic transition, through a hyper-targeted campaign. Personalized copies of the contract were sent to farmers across the nation, while Anheuser-Busch agronomists partnered with organic trade groups to discuss the program in their communities.

In support we used local media (community radio, town newspapers, and wild-postings at small businesses). Targeted Facebook ads, email, and agricultural publications helped spread the word. PR outreach led to national coverage from agricultural publications like Organic Insider and Green America, as well as from mainstream media such as Marketwatch, Business Insider and Forbes.

And while the targeted campaign ended, Contract for Change

Contract for Change positioned Anheuser-Busch as a true grassroots partner of the American farming community. 175 farmers have already signed the contract and 104,000 acres–4% of America’s total barley farmland–have begun transitioning to organic.

Contract For Change will triple organic barley acreage by 2023, marking an unprecedented contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: smaller carbon footprints, improved soil health, and cleaner air and water.

Once certified organic, these farms will grow natural ingredients for generations, improving the world’s access not only to organic beer but all kinds of foods which help reduce the risks of cancer, allergic disease, and obesity.

By 2023 the brand projects to expand production by 25%, keeping pace with the explosive demand for this groundbreaking beer. Contract for Change will be offered for years to come, effectively securing the future of America’s farmland.