Regenerative Agriculture Commitment: PepsiCo and Cargill Launch New Plan

Within the next five years, 240,000 acres of Iowa farmland will be devoted to advanced regenerative agriculture according to a plan jointly announced by PepsiCo and Cargill. Practical Farmers of Iowa -- a nonprofit organization focused on working with farmers on soil, food, air, and water priorities – will provide technical guidance and financial incentives for farmers who participate in the initiative.  

The PepsiCo and Cargill project will focus on their corn supply chain in the state that produces more corn than any other state in the country.

“Together, the companies aim to deepen supply chain resilience, support positive outcomes for farming communities by helping them implement regenerative practices, and unlock new opportunities for advancing sustainable agriculture at scale,” the companies announced in their news release.

Practical Farmers of Iowa PFI “will offer farmers tailored advice and recommendations based on their region and planted crops—insights grounded in local realities. This type of collaboration is key to scaling regenerative farming practices that can ultimately support farmers and strengthen the resilience of the global food system,” the announcement read.

New Iowa Collaboration

Here is what leaders from the two companies said about the collaboration:

Jim Andrew, PepsiCo Chief Sustainability Officer: "By working with farmers to understand what's best for their farms and partnering across the supply chain we can accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices that can result in healthier soil, reduced emissions, and improved crop yields and livelihoods for farmers. This collaboration among PepsiCo, Cargill, and Practical Farmers of Iowa creates shared value and long-term sustainability that we believe will strengthen our business today and in the future." 

Pilar Cruz, Chief Sustainability Officer at Cargill: "This partnership is about delivering practical, measurable results – starting on the farm, where the food system begins. By coming together across the value chain, we can help create the conditions for regenerative agriculture to take root and grow. The collaboration offers a model for how we can drive meaningful impact at scale."

RELATED: Two other large U.S. companies announced a regenerative farming partnership two years ago.

Report on Sustainable Farming Practices

PepsiCo rated among the highest of large American companies when it comes to sustainable farming practices, according to a new report from the nonprofit group, As You Sow.

The organization said that it compiles ratings for companies based on various industry reports and other publicly available data. Overall, the report found that many of the 20 companies that it analyzed failed to “effectively support farming practices that protect human and environmental health.”

The report pointed out concerns that while some companies are showing improvement, many are still not providing enough support to farmers to help them expand regenerative farming practices, like planting cover crops, reducing tillage, and increasing crop diversity.

RELATED: This program helps farmers come up with ways to improve their soil health.