Constellation Brands Inc. said it will invest $100 million over the next five years to support barley and corn farmers in Idaho, Montana and North Dakota, as part of a broader push to secure raw materials for its U.S. beverage operations.
The New York-based company, which already spends more than $750 million annually with American farmers and suppliers, will establish a grower-led advisory committee called Constellation’s Farmers Future to guide the initiative. Nicholas Fink, president and CEO, emphasized the role of U.S. barley, corn and hops producers in sustaining supply chains and local economies.
Constellation, whose brands include Corona, Modelo and Svedka, purchases roughly 80% of all U.S. barley exports, underscoring its reliance on domestic agriculture. The company supports over 100,000 jobs across its supply chain and directs more than $4.2 billion annually toward wages, capital spending and U.S. taxes, according to its figures.
The investment targets regions critical to barley production, including Idaho—home to the nation’s largest barley output—and North Dakota, which produced more than 28 million bushels last year. Fink cited declining acreage, shifting demand, rising input costs and weather-related disruptions as key challenges the funding aims to address.
Constellation operates in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand and Italy, with its U.S. operations centered in Rochester, N.Y.
