PepsiCo has teamed up with Syngenta on a project to scale up regenerative agriculture practices among sunflower growers in Argentina.
In a statement, Syngenta, a leading agricultural innovation firm, said that the project will aim to boost ‘regenerative and traceable agriculture in the food industry value chain in a transparent and verifiable way’.
The two firms have already been working together on regenerative projects in the sunflower sector – in the first year, some 4,000 tonnes of sunflower oil from farms in Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, and Santa Fe were delivered to PepsiCo, having been cultivated according to regenerative methods.
As part of the second stage of the project, this partnership will see the number of hectares that implement these practices increase by at least 25%.
Sustainable Sourcing Program
Syngenta’s Sustainable Sourcing Program verifies a number of practices, including crop rotation; the use of cover crops; irrigation efficiency; the use of biological products; and the development of pollinator habitats.
Verification will be carried out by third parties to ensure full traceability and credibility throughout the supply chain.
Regenerative agriculture
“At Syngenta, sustainability is embedded in the business. Regenerating soil and nature through practices that aim to leave the system better than we found it, is a commitment we assume every day,” commented Mariale Álvarez, head of sustainability and corporate affairs, LATAM at Syngenta.
“This time, together with a strategic partner like PepsiCo, with whom we share this same vision, we are taking this commitment one step further: farmers who join our Sustainable Sourcing Program receive an economic benefit by demonstrating the adoption of regenerative farming practices in their production process, which has a positive impact not only on the environment but also on their profitability.”
Elsewhere, PepsiCo southern cone’s oils category leader, Santiago Desmery, said that the initiative enables the food and beverage giant to “have 100% regenerative agriculture in the sunflower it uses” at LATAM level. Read more here.
