Pepsi
By Jim Romahn
Apr. 22/21
PepsiCo backs regenerative agriculture
PepsiCo has announced it’s in favour of regenerative agriculture, but has not yet offered financial incentives to farmers who till seven million acres to supply the company with potatoes for chips, oats for oatmeal, corn for soft drink sweetener and oranges for orange juice.
With more than $70 billion in annual sales of potato chips, oatmeal, orange juice, soda and snack foods, Pepsi is a major buyer of potatoes, oats, corn and oranges.
The company said its regenerative ag commitment is part of Pepsi’s Positive Agriculture agenda, which has five key goals: build soil health and fertility, sequester carbon and reduce emissions, improve watershed health, increase biodiversity and improve farmer livelihoods.
“We know we have to do even more to create truly systemic change,” said Jim Andrew, the company’s chief sustainability officer.
“By focusing on regenerative agriculture practices at the local level to improve soil health, we can build a stronger foundation for our products and help make the entire food system more sustainable.”
I doubt all the fine talk will amount to anything when PepsiCo sits down to negotiate potato production contracts.
