PepsiCo and Walmart, working with the Walmart Foundation, have announced a seven-year collaboration to pursue $120 million worth of investments focused on supporting U.S. and Canadian farmers in their efforts to improve soil health and water quality.

The partnership aims to establish financial, agronomic, and social programs and enable and accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices on more than two million acres of farmland. In practice, the regenerative agriculture plans would result in four million metric tons of greenhouse gas emission reductions and removals by 2030—roughly equivalent to the amount of electricity needed to power 778,300 homes for a year.

 “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." said PepsiCo chief sustainability officer Jim Andrew. "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.” 

“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," said Walmart senior vice president for sustainability Jane Ewing. 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Hiraman)