ImpactAlpha, March 23 – Pepsico has pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and to support the conversion of seven million acres of farmland to regenerative practices.
“Regenerative agriculture is a powerful approach to address climate change,” PepsiCo’s Margaret Henry told ImpactAlpha in an email.
The $80 billion food and beverage giant is investing $216 million in three organizations in the U.S. to achieve nearly half of its regenerative ag goal. The company called it a strategic business investment that “is essential to supporting the U.S. farming community as it makes changes that aim to secure production volumes and mitigate the impacts of climate change.”
Pepsico’s investment will support Practical Farmers of Iowa, the Illinois Corn Growers Association, and the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, which are using cost-share incentives and outcome-based incentives to encourage farmers’ regenerative shift. AgOutcomes and ReHarvest Partners’ Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, for example, rewards farmers for achieving environmental outcomes like improved water quality, through techniques like cover-cropping.
For its work with Pepsico, SWOF will set environmental targets that are suited to the regions the company sources from, SWOF’s Adam Kiel told ImpactAlpha.