PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation have announced grants totaling $5.4 million in support of efforts to provide access to clean water in Latin America.

Grants from the multinational food and beverage company include $3 million over three years in support of Agua Para el Planeta, a program it operates in collaboration with the Nature Conservancy that is focused on replenishing aquifers in regions of Latin America where fresh water is scarce. In addition, the PepsiCo Foundation, in alliance with strategic partners in the region, will invest $2.4 million to implement new drinking water access programs in communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The foundation also announced partnerships with WaterAid (Colombia), Accion Contra el Hambre (Guatemala), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to fund new sanitation facilities and community water systems in rural communities; with Water.org and IDB to provide microcredit loans for upgrades to water infrastructure in homes in Brazil; with BRAC and local entrepreneurs to develop affordable clean water systems in Bangladesh; and with the Safe Water Network to install water access points and expand hygiene education in Hyderabad, India.

"Water is a fundamental human right, and the fact that billions of people have been left with limited access to it for decades is a problem of global importance that we must address rapidly — especially now, during the fight against COVID-19," said Jon Banner, executive vice president, global communications, and president at the PepsiCo Foundation. "Since 2006, the foundation has invested more than $53 million in safe water access programs, and we've worked tirelessly to build infrastructure, pilot innovative solutions, and attract catalytic funding from key partners. But our efforts cannot stop here — organizations must continue to invest in water, as safe water access, sanitation, and hygiene are imperative for human health and to combat the spread of disease."

(Photo credit: Gettyimages / Ximena Rojas)