Pilot program advances corporate sustainability goals of PepsiCo and Ingredion

ANKENY, Iowa — A new program providing financial incentives directly to farmers who transition to on-farm conservation practices is now available to farmers in northern Illinois.

Launched by the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, the offering is a component of the efforts PepsiCo and Ingredion are making to scale regenerative agriculture practices in a farmer-centric and outcomes-driven manner.

“The opportunity for farmers to earn revenue from environmental outcomes that result from introducing conservation practices, on top of existing crop outputs, is a win-win scenario,” said Adam Kiel, managing director of the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund and executive vice president of AgOutcomes, a subsidiary of the Iowa Soybean Association.

“We look forward to providing assistance to farmers on their journey to further conservation efforts, enhance on-farm productivity and steward the land for future generations.”

The program pays farmers for adoption of conservation practices that generate verifiable carbon reductions and water quality improvements. The resulting verified environmental outcomes are sold to a diverse group of public and private beneficiaries interested in supporting farmers to advance regenerative agriculture practices, including corporations like PepsiCo and Ingredion, municipalities, state departments of agriculture and the federal government.

About Pepsico And Ingredion Involvement

PepsiCo recently accelerated its science-based climate goals, including a focus on its agricultural value chain, and announced an ambitious commitment to spread the adoption of regenerative farming practices across more than 7 million acres by 2030.

Ingredion continues to prioritize agricultural sustainability and water management as part of its 2030 All Life sustainability strategy to make life better.

“We are thrilled to partner with corporate sustainability leaders like PepsiCo and Ingredion to deliver the verified environmental outcomes needed to meet their ambitious sustainability goals while providing new conservation incentives to growers in a key supply shed,” said Mark Lambert, managing director of the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund and CEO of ReHarvest Partners.

PepsiCo and Ingredion join Cargill and Nutrien Ag Solutions as pioneering companies working to “inset” corporate emissions by partnering with the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund to empower farmers in key regions to mitigate climate change, regenerate soils and improve water quality.

In 2021, the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund plans to expand to more than 100,000 acres of cropland across Iowa, Ohio, Illinois and the Chesapeake region.

This expansion will significantly increase opportunities for farmers to be compensated for implementing conservation practices that produce verified environmental outcomes.

“PepsiCo recognizes that nature provides enormous opportunities to strengthen our supply chain and the resilience of the farmers we touch,” said Margaret Henry, director of sustainable agriculture at PepsiCo.

“By aiding their transition to regenerative agriculture through this partnership we are investing in the farmers’ future profitability while working to ensure a steady supply of ingredients for PepsiCo’s products and helping to meet our climate goals.”

“Ingredion is committed to making a meaningful difference as we work to make life better, so it is fitting that we focus our sustainability initiatives on practices that make a positive impact on the world,” said Andy Utterback, senior manager of sustainability at Ingredion.

“By collaborating with our customers and stakeholders, Ingredion can assist growers in adopting regenerative agriculture practices that increase the resiliency of their operations and ensure the stability of our agricultural supply chain.”