PepsiCo Revolutionizes Farming with Web-Based Tool

PepsiCo announces 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 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.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, says, "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."

 

* i-crop will be rolled-out to the following markets in 2011:

-- Holland

-- France

-- Germany

-- Belgium

-- Spain

-- Portugal

-- Turkey