The initiative includes industry-first
pilot programs to build a more sustainable and equitable food
system
PLANO,
Texas, July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo
Foods North America today announced its Planting Pathways
Initiative, charting an industry-leading and transformative course
for expanding agricultural opportunities. Recent USDA Census of
Agriculture data shows that farmers under the age of 35 make up
just 9% of the U.S. farming industry. The initiative aims to
provide opportunities for young people and people from various
backgrounds to enter the agriculture sector.
PepsiCo has a business stake and
responsibility to help grow a resilient and impactful supply
chain.
The Planting Pathways Initiative will begin with pilot programs
that drive sustainable, systemic industry change. Long-term
partnerships with nonprofit leaders in the agriculture industry
underpin the program, with a shared commitment to making measurable
progress toward achieving equitable access across the agricultural
supply chain.
"I was born on a farm and am proud to work for PepsiCo, a
company rooted in agriculture. I have immense respect for the
growers and producers that form the backbone of our country.
PepsiCo has a business stake and responsibility to help grow a
resilient and impactful supply chain from the seeds in the field to
the products on the shelf to the many people at home enjoying our
products," said Margaret Henry, Vice
President, Sustainable & Regenerative Agriculture at PepsiCo.
"Providing access to food and building leaders for tomorrow are at
the heart of our business at PepsiCo. I'm proud these partnerships
reinforce our commitment to innovation in agriculture."
Partnerships include:
- Multi-year partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) to provide opportunities for
underrepresented and beginning farmers to enter and thrive in the
agriculture industry. PepsiCo Foods North America will work with
PFI to equip farmers with strong business plans, coaching and
capital, robust networks and training opportunities.
- Partnership with the Farm Foundation to create career
opportunities within the PepsiCo Foods North America supply chain
and the agriculture industry at large. The investment will develop
a two-year cohort program, Field to Future, that enables
college students to receive career development support in the
agricultural sector, including conference attendance, mentorships,
scholarships provided by The PepsiCo Foundation and more. It will
also allow select individuals to participate in a two-year paid
internship within PepsiCo.
The company's investment and focus on these partnerships aim to
address widespread global food system challenges by bringing fresh
perspectives, innovation, and energy into the agriculture industry.
All PepsiCo Foods products are born in the field—starting as
potatoes, corn, or oats—and PepsiCo is committed to cultivating a
robust agricultural supply chain from the seed to the shelf.
"We are grateful to partner with PepsiCo Foods North America on
this initiative to enable underrepresented farmers to start and
maintain a thriving farm business," said Sally Worley, Executive Director of Practical
Farmers of Iowa. "PepsiCo's
Planting Pathways Initiative has the potential to provide
opportunities for more people to succeed in farming."
The Field to Future cohort program, in partnership with
the Farm Foundation, is a critical component of the Planting
Pathways Initiative. "Field to Future will foster future leaders in
the food and agriculture industries," said Shari Rogge-Fidler, President and CEO of Farm
Foundation. "Pairing PepsiCo Foods' commitment with Farm
Foundation's network of food and agriculture experts creates
opportunities that will shape these industries for years to
come."
In 2021, PepsiCo launched PepsiCo Positive (pep+), the
end-to-end transformation of its business to drive positive impact
for both the planet and people. Today's announcement directly
supports the pep+ Positive Agriculture agenda, which seeks to
create a more resilient and inclusive food system by directly
supporting farmers, securing a steady supply of key ingredients and
improving social outcomes for all people throughout the supply
chain.
Learn more about PepsiCo's global agriculture footprint,
strategic partnerships and progress toward pep+ goals.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one
billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories
around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $91 billion in net revenue in 2023, driven by a
complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes
Lay's®, Doritos®, Cheetos®, Gatorade®, Pepsi-Cola®, Mountain Dew®,
Quaker®, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a
wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic
brands that generate more than $1
billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in
Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo
Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that
puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will
create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries
and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more
information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter),
Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
About Farm Foundation
Farm Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization working across the
food and ag value chain to build momentum behind meaningful
solutions to some of the most important challenges facing farmers
and, by extension, our industry as a whole. Our nonpartisan
approach means we are uniquely able to address issues with
objectivity and inclusivity, bringing together diverse perspectives
from influential people and organizations to discuss and develop
solutions. We support food and agriculture by meeting challenges
with a relentless dedication to ensuring all the right stakeholders
are involved and engaged in building something for the greater
good—providing an agenda-free zone to achieve a shared vision for a
better future for food and ag. We move with speed, purpose and
agility to make the greatest impact in the most important areas in
the shortest amount of time.
About Practical Farmers of Iowa
Practical Farmers of Iowa is a
nonprofit with more than 8,000 members that equips farmers to build
resilient farms and communities. We create learning opportunities
via farmer-led events, on-farm research and educational content
through our robust network of farmers. We also provide funding and
technical assistance to help farmers adopt regenerative farming
practices and grow farm businesses. Our vision is an Iowa with healthy soil, healthy food, clean
air, clean water, resilient farms and vibrant communities. To learn
more, visit http://practicalfarmers.org.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pepsico-foods-north-america-launches-new-planting-pathways-initiative-to-expand-opportunities-in-the-agriculture-sector-302204901.html
SOURCE Frito-Lay North
America