PURCHASE, NY. — PepsiCo, Inc. plans to invest $216 million in three farmer-facing organizations to support the uptake of regenerative agricultural practices on over 3 million acres. The partnerships with Practical Farmers of Iowa, the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund and the IL Corn Growers Association are expected to deliver a reduction and removal of about 3 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Purchase-based PepsiCo will work with the three 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 sharing costs.

“As the climate crisis continues to escalate, the threat to our food system increases as well,” said Jim Andrew, chief sustainability officer for PepsiCo. “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. We intend to be shoulder-to-shoulder with farmers as they work to make soil healthier, sequester carbon, improve watershed health and biodiversity, and improve their livelihoods.”

PepsiCo by 2030 plans to reach about 1.5 million acres by partnering with Practical Farmers of Iowa, nearly 1 million acres by partnering with the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund and about 500,000 acres by partnering with IL Corn Growers Association.

Practical Farmers of Iowa, a non-profit organization, has more than 6,000 members. The organization creates learning opportunities through farmer-led events, on-farm research and educational content. It also provides funding and technical assistance.

The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund provides systems for soil and water stewardship by using biophysical models and approaches to quantify carbon sequestration and water outcomes while providing technical assistance to growers.