PepsiCo bolsters regenerative farming in North America to protect soil health

PepsiCo is advancing regenerative agriculture in partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) to support new generations of farmers in North America. The company aims to help farmers grow food sustainably, enriching the earth and supporting livelihoods.

Pepsico is incentivizing Midwest farmers to plant cover crops under the Cover Crop Cost Share Program as part of the partnership. The practice helps protect soil health, sequesters carbon and strengthens biodiversity and watershed health.

The F&B giant says it supported over 5,500 farmers in 2023 in adopting regenerative practices, covering 1.8 million acres globally. The new program with PFI provides financial assistance to around 3,800 participating farmers, helping them cover planting costs and reducing barriers to entry.

The newest round of enrollment will close in December, allowing additional farmers to enter the program.

Reducing financial barriers to entry

According to the USDA, 79% of farms in the country are small family farms, generating less than US$150,000 annually. These farms could benefit from the initial investment in innovative technology and sustainable agriculture, which can be challenging to manage as the cost-of-living crisis and extreme weather events rage.

One of the farmers under PepsiCo’s program, Aaron White, owns a cattle company and grows 800 acres of row crops with small grains as cover crop seed and hay. According to PepsiCo, the PFI initiative has helped offset his planting costs while helping reduce erosion and nutrient runoff, which can boost the bottom line.

“As a farmer, soil is our most valuable resource — it sustains our livelihood. Keeping Iowa’s rich soil and nutrients on our farm, rather than losing them to runoff into the Gulf of Mexico, is crucial,” says White.

“The Cover Crop Cost Share Program has helped us play our part in preserving these vital resources. It has also encouraged us to expand our knowledge of soil health.”

Beyond the Cover Crop Cost Share program, PepsiCo Foods North America is bolstering initiatives like Planting Pathways, which support young farmers in creating profitable opportunities and a more resilient food system.

The food industry is increasingly turning toward regenerative agriculture to slash on-farm emissions. German flavor and fragrance marker Symrise recently announced that its team for global agronomy is collaborating with farmers globally to increase the uptake of eco-friendly farming techniques. These include longer crop rotation, cover cropping and soil carbon sequestration.

The company is working with banana cultivators in Ecuador to improve soil fertility and decrease on-farm emissions. In Madagascar, Symrise’s vanilla project uses shadow management techniques to protect fields.