Food and drink giant PepsiCo has unveiled plans to roll-out its new i-crop
farming technology on a global basis.

The web-based tool, which was developed by the firm in partnership with
Cambridge University, is a crop management system that enables its
supplying farmers to monitor, manage and reduce their water use and carbon
emissions, while maximizing yield and quality.

The technology is currently being trialled at 22 UK farms. PepsiCo has
ambitions to reduce carbon emissions and water usage by 50% across the
farming of its core crops in the next five years.

The technology will be rolled-out in Holland, France, Germany, Belgium,
Spain, Portugal and Turkey in 2011. The company hopes to take it to India,
China, Mexico and Australia by the following year.

As one of the world’s largest food and beverage businesses, with brands
including Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade and Pepsi-Cola, the company invests
heavily in farming. This year, the firm announced 15 global goals and
commitments to protect natural resources through innovation and more
efficient use of land, energy, water and packaging.

In the UK, it is the largest buyer of British potatoes and one of the
largest purchasers of British oats and apples, using 100% British produce
in Walkers crisps, Copella English Apple juice, Quaker Oats, Oatso Simple
and Scott’s porridge.

“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,” said Richard Evans, PepsiCo’s UK and Ireland
president.

“i-crop has the potential to revolutionise 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.”

In its first Sustainable Farming Report, PepsiCo UK outlined how it is
working in partnership with its 350 British farmers to reach its aim of ’50
in 5′. Other initiatives announced include trials of new low-carbon
fertilisers and plans to replace more than 75% of the UK company’s current
potato stock with varieties that will significantly improve farmers’ yields
and decrease wastage by 2015.

“The food industry is starting to recognize that in order to fully
embed sustainability and biodiversity in its business practices, a large
part of the focus must be on the agricultural supply chain,” said Richard
Perkins, senior commodities adviser at WWF.

“In this respect PepsiCo UK has taken a leadership role in recognizing
that it is, at its heart, an agricultural business. The focus of the
business on improving its key environmental impacts, such as greenhouse gas

emissions – in the field and on the farm – is most welcome.”

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