United States - October 19, 2010
PepsiCo today announced plans to roll-out its new i-crop farming
technology on a global basis. The web-based tool, which was developed by
PepsiCo in conjunction with Cambridge University, United Kingdom, is a crop
management system that will enable PepsiCo's farmers around the world to
monitor, manage and reduce their water use and carbon emissions, while also
maximizing potential yield and quality.
 Trials of i-crop are currently underway at 22 farms in the U.K., where
PepsiCo yesterday announced ambitious plans to reduce carbon emissions and water
usage by 50 percent across the farming of its core crops in the next five years.
 i-crop
is just one example of a PepsiCo
innovation which has given us the
confidence to make such firm
commitments to the future of UK
farming.
Richard Evans, President, PepsiCo
UK & Ireland
The technology will be rolled-out in Europe in 2011* and then to the United
States. The company hopes to take it to India, China, Mexico and Australia by
2012.
As one of the world's largest food and beverage businesses, with brands
including Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay, PepsiCo is a
major investor in global farming. In 2009, the company announced 15 global
goals and commitments to guide its work to protect the Earth's natural resources
through innovation and more efficient use of land, energy, water and packaging.
In the U.K., the company is the largest purchaser of British potatoes and one
of the largest purchasers of British oats and apples, using 100 percent British
produce in Walkers crisps, Copella English Apple juice, Quaker Oats, Oatso
Simple and Scott's porage. Richard Evans, President of PepsiCo U.K. and Ireland said, "Farming is in the
DNA of our business - we rely on fresh produce every day. Finding ways to
produce more food with less environmental impact is essential to our future." He
added, "i-crop has the potential to revolutionize the way we farm, enabling our
farmers to save costs and water and carbon consumption, while at the same time
improving their yields. I am immensely proud of this innovation which I hope
will also benefit PepsiCo farmers around the world."
In its first Sustainable Farming
Report published yesterday, PepsiCo U.K. outlined how it is working in
partnership with its 350 British farmers to reach its aim of '50 in 5'. Other
initiatives announced include trials of new low-carbon fertilizers and plans to
replace more than 75 percent of PepsiCo U.K.'s current potato stock with
varieties that will significantly improve farmers' yields and decrease wastage
by 2015. A full copy of the report is available for download at
www.pepsico.co.uk/farming.
Commenting on the PepsiCo U.K. sustainable farming report, Richard Perkins,
Senior Commodities Adviser at WWF said, "The food industry is starting to
recognize that in order to fully embed sustainability and biodiversity in its
business practices, a large part of the focus must be on the agricultural supply
chain. In this respect PepsiCo U.K. has taken a leadership role in recognizing
that it is, at its heart, an agricultural business. The focus of the business on
improving its key environmental impacts, such as greenhouse gas emissions – in
the field and on the farm – is most welcome."
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