AB InBev Donates 30,000 Liters of Water to Flower Grower

Belgian flower grower Michaël Vanhulst (59) from Bierbeek received a lifeline this week when beer giant AB InBev donated 30,000 liters of purified water to save his flower-picking business. The donation came at a critical moment, with Vanhulst’s 185,000-liter rainwater silo completely dry and only about a week of water remaining for his crops, as Het Laatste Nieuws reported.

A Distress Call Answered

Vanhulst, who runs Fleurderij—a combined pig farm and extensive flower-picking field featuring over 200 plant species—issued a public distress call on Monday, August 10, during a Radio 2 interview. Within three days, the Boerenbond (Belgian Farmers’ Union) connected him with AB InBev’s Leuven brewery.

“Suddenly I was contacted by Boerenbond with the message that AB InBev could make water available,” Vanhulst told VRT NWS. “I could immediately collect 30,000 liters. That was an enormous relief.”

The timing was critical. Vanhulst had built the silo just four years ago at a cost of EUR 20,000 to buffer against drought periods, but the extreme heat of summer 2026—described as the warmest since records began—drained it completely. His dahlias, which consist of approximately 70 percent water, require substantial irrigation.

“I only had water left for one week,” he said. “Without their help, I would have lost my harvest.”

A Partnership Rooted in Mutual Dependence

AB InBev purifies approximately 3 million liters of water daily at its Leuven brewery. The company’s spokesperson, Aron Wils, explained that the purified water serves three purposes: making it drinkable for brewery operations, providing it to third parties such as farmers and the city of Leuven, and discharging the surplus into the Dijle river.

“Without agriculture, we can’t make beer,” Wils said. “We need barley and hops. So we must support the farmers.”

The collaboration is not new—the city of Leuven has been collecting purified water from AB InBev since 2018, and the municipality of Herent followed in 2022. However, this marks a significant expansion of the program to individual farmers.

Tessa De Prins, spokesperson for Boerenbond, emphasized that the initiative is more than a goodwill gesture. “It’s certainly not a PR stunt,” she told Boerenbond. “They’ve been doing this for years. We’re trying to structurally embed these collaborations, so that a network is ready in times of drought.”

Regulatory Changes Enable Faster Action

Since late July 2026, the Flemish government has temporarily relaxed regulations for water reuse, valid until October 15, 2026, making it easier for food companies to provide purified wastewater to farmers for irrigation. The Boerenbond is now working with approximately ten food companies that can supply purified water, including AB InBev, Citribel, Danone, and Ardo, as VILT reported.

Flemish Minister of Agriculture Jo Brouns (CD&V) attended the first water pickup to underscore the importance of such collaborations. “It’s good to see how agriculture and businesses find each other in these difficult times of drought,” Brouns said. “Water has become a precious commodity and we must handle it frugally and smartly.”

Broader Drought Impact

The 2026 drought has severely affected Belgian agriculture. Green bean harvests may drop by 50 percent or more, pea harvests are 20-25 percent below average, and apple and pear harvests are expected to be 22 percent and 7 percent lower respectively. Water extraction bans have been implemented across multiple provinces.

Vanhulst has now secured an agreement to collect 30,000 liters weekly from AB InBev as long as the drought persists. “It’s nice to know I can knock on their door in the coming years too,” he said. “Just before I ran out of water, the solution came out of nowhere. As if all the puzzle pieces fell into place.”

Looking Ahead

While the immediate crisis is averted for Vanhulst, the broader challenge of water resilience in Belgian agriculture remains. The Flemish government has allocated EUR 51 million in 2026 for its Blue Deal water resilience program, rising to EUR 174 million by 2029, according to VILT.

De Prins stressed the need for structural solutions. “The changing climate conditions show that structural solutions are needed, where faster permits for water storage and collaborations between companies play an important role,” she said.

For Vanhulst, who admits he regrets not making his silo deeper when the installer suggested it four years ago, the partnership with AB InBev offers both immediate relief and long-term reassurance. “I am pleasantly surprised and very grateful,” he said. “This also reassures me for the coming years, because the drought will only get worse.”