PepsiCo announces $216M investment to support regenerative agriculture

PepsiCo has announced a $216 million multiyear investment with three organizations to drive the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across the U.S.

The organizations are Practical Farmers of Iowa, Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, and the IL Corn Growers Association, according to a news release.

PepsiCo said the combined impact of these three strategic partnerships is expected to support the “accelerated uptake of regenerative practices” on more than 3 million acres and deliver approximately 3 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emission reductions and removals by 2030.

“As the climate crisis continues to escalate, the threat to our food system increases as well," Jim Andrew, PepsiCo chief sustainability officer, said in the release. "It's critically important to partner, for the long term, with organizations that have earned the trust of farmers as they make the transition to adopt climate-smart agriculture practices.”

PepsiCo will work alongside the organizations to establish and scale financial, agronomic and social programs that enable the transition to regenerative agriculture practices through education, upfront investment in outcomes, peer coaching and networking, and cost-sharing, the release said.

Through these partnerships, by 2030, PepsiCo will work with Practical Farmers of Iowa to reach approximately 1.5 million acres; Soil and Water Outcomes Fund to reach nearly 1 million acres; and the IL Corn Growers Association to reach approximately 600,000 acres. Based on progress to date, these collaborative efforts are expected to deliver more than 500,000 regenerative acres by the end of 2023, the release said.