Hungary: Heineken Hungary teams up with charity organization to revive local hops and help the poorest

Brewery Heineken Hungária is teaming up with charity Hungarian Interchurch Aid to revive local hops and provide a cash crop to some of the countryʼs poorest. New Minister of Agriculture István Nagy participated at the signing ceremony of the cooperation agreement, the Budapest Business Journal reported on May 23.

The Dutch brewing giantʼs local unit is donating HUF30 million to Hungarian Interchurch Aid, which will use the money to add hops to crops grown in a model rehabilitation program for underprivileged families in Kastélyosdombó (252 km southwest of Budapest, close to the border with Croatia), national news agency MTI reported.

Nagy noted that the area on which hops are grown in Hungary fell to just five hectares in 2011, from 550-550 hectares in the 1980s.

Heineken Hungária CEO José Matthijsse said that the brewer uses only locally grown barley for its "Soproni" brand beer.

Last year tensions arose between Heineken and the Hungarian government regarding a trademark dispute between the Dutch brewer and a Hungarian-owned craft brewery in Romania. The government applied added pressure by citing a ban on Communist and Nazi-era symbols to protest over Heinekenʼs long-used red star in its logo. It seems now, however, that all concerns have been smoothed out.

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