PURCHASE, NY & BENTONVILLE, AR - For big-box chain Walmart, sustainability has been a major focus of its initiatives. Now, the retailer has teamed up with PepsiCo to turn its attention toward regenerative agriculture. Together, the pair have joined forces for a seven-year collaboration that includes $120 million in investments focused on supporting United States and Canadian farmers in their pursuit of improved soil health and water quality.
“At Walmart, our sustainability strategy is built to make the everyday choice the sustainable choice for our customers,” said Jane Ewing, Senior Vice President for Sustainability at Walmart. “This collaboration with PepsiCo is a great example of how we are prioritizing the expansion of regenerative agricultural practices among farmers across North America so that we can continue to make quality products affordable and accessible for customers. This collaboration aims to help elevate farmer livelihoods, engage them on how to more sustainably manage soil health, increase yields, and create a model that others can mimic across other product categories, including encouraging additional investments in regenerative agriculture by other brands.”
By establishing and scaling financial, agronomic, and social programs, Walmart and PepsiCo aim to enable and accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices on more than 2 million acres of farmland. According to a release, this would deliver approximately 4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions and removals by 2030.
Both companies’ businesses are dependent on farmers who grow the ingredients used to make their products. Each of their supply chains stretches across North America and involves large volumes of key crops, including potatoes, oats, corn, wheat, soybeans, and rice. Because sustainability will look different for each category and region, the pair will offer a voluntary, flexible approach to regenerative agriculture that gives farmers a seat at the table.
“This effort is a new model for PepsiCo, marking our first, large-scale strategic collaboration focused on sustainable agriculture with a retail partner,” said Steven Williams, Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo Foods North America. “Farmers are critical to our business, and many of the brands our consumers know and love rely on ingredients that we source straight from the farm. By joining forces with Walmart, we’ll be empowering farmers through education, upfront investment in outcomes, peer coaching, and cost-sharing—and hopefully inspiring others to join us.”
Jim Andrew, Chief Sustainability Officer at PepsiCo, also commented on the collaboration.
“Successful sustainability starts and ends with trust. At PepsiCo, we work very hard to earn the trust of the farmer so they understand that we are investing in their legacy, and they can hand their farm down to the next generation,” he said. “Farmers know their business better than anyone else, and what we hear from them is that for regenerative agriculture to make business sense, three things need to happen. They need economic support, social and cultural support, and agronomic support. This strategic collaboration with Walmart will advance our shared goal to have farmers’ backs as they transform farming in a way that benefits the planet and people.”
To read more about this investment, click here.
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