PepsiCo Builds on Commitments to Sustainable Agriculture and Support for Local Communities With New Land Policy

19 Mar 2014 --- PepsiCo believes acting ethically and responsibly is not only the right thing to do, but also the right thing for our business.

To build on the policies and programs PepsiCo has already established in a number of areas including supplier conduct, sustainable agriculture and environmental health and safety, the company is now rolling out a land policy with zero tolerance for illegal activities in our supply chain and for land displacements of any legitimate land tenure holders.

"Agriculture is an integral part of PepsiCo's supply chain," said Paul Boykas, vice president, public policy for PepsiCo. "Regardless of the source of the commodity – whether from suppliers, directly or indirectly, a farm or processor – this land policy defines our intentions and the actions we as a company will take to recognize land rights throughout our supply chain."

This land policy complements PepsiCo's Supplier Code of Conduct, which is being incorporated as part of the contracting process with key strategic suppliers, and addresses the areas of labor practices, associate health and safety, environmental management and business integrity. The land policy, which was developed in consultation with Oxfam and other third-party experts, outlines processes and assessments to help meet our zero tolerance commitment.

In addition to the land policy, PepsiCo will continue leveraging external third-party expertise to help meet its goals and commitments.  For instance PepsiCo is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, which was founded to increase the supply of sustainable palm oil products.  Through the RSPO, we have committed to exclusively purchase 100 percent certified sustainable palm oil for our products by 2015 and 100 percent physical RSPO-certified palm oil by 2020. PepsiCo is also a member of Bonsucro, a global nonprofit dedicated to reducing the environmental and social impacts of sugarcane production while recognizing the need for economic viability.  Moving forward, PepsiCo will work with Bonsucro and other relevant stakeholders to evaluate certification standards that can help the company meet a goal of 100% sustainable cane sugar by 2020.

As part of our commitment to responsible land rights practices, PepsiCo intends to join the United Nations Committee on World Food Security.

"We value the partnership, insights and collaboration of governments, local communities, NGOs and other external organizations in our efforts.  We remain committed to our mutual goal of recognizing and respecting all human rights," said Boykas.