WAGENINGEN, THE NETHERLANDS — Senselet Food Processing PLC (Senselet), PepsiCo’s Ethiopia-based foods unit, has teamed up with Dutch hybrid potato innovator Solynta to bring hybrid true potato seeds (HTPS) to Ethiopia. The seeds were made from hybrid breeding, which is the focused breeding of beneficial traits, such as pest resistance and hardiness, to enhance food security and guarantee more income for farmers, the company said.

Both PepsiCo and Solynta said they will work closely with Ethiopian authorities to set up legal frameworks for seed import, seed variety and certification of hybrid seed tubers while Ethiopian farmers and researchers test the seeds.

“Our teams will develop with farmers the best practices for Ethiopian conditions,” said Charles Miller, director of business development at Solynta. “Hybrid breeding will significantly affect crop practices, productivity, and reliance on pesticides.”

This partnership fits with the Ethiopia-Netherlands Seed Partnership (ENSP), which “enables the private sector in Ethiopia to deliver farming men and women high-quality seed of improved varieties much needed for food security, nutrition, and climate resilience.”

PepsiCo already has invested $40 million in Ethiopian potato chip production, and this new partnership makes it the leading Ethiopian potato processing company.