PLANO, Texas — PepsiCo Foods North America has announced its "Planting Pathways Initiative," charting an industry-leading and transformative course for expanding agricultural opportunities.
Recent USDA Census of Agriculture data shows that farmers under the age of 35 make up just 9% of the U.S. farming industry. The initiative aims to provide opportunities for young people and people from various backgrounds to enter the agriculture sector.
The Planting Pathways Initiative will begin with pilot programs that drive sustainable, systemic industry change. Long-term partnerships with nonprofit leaders in the agriculture industry underpin the program, with a shared commitment to making measurable progress toward achieving equitable access across the agricultural supply chain.
Partnerships include:
- Multi-year partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) to provide opportunities for underrepresented and beginning farmers to enter and thrive in the agriculture industry. PepsiCo Foods North America will work with PFI to equip farmers with strong business plans, coaching and capital, robust networks and training opportunities.
- Partnership with the Farm Foundation to create career opportunities within the PepsiCo Foods North America supply chain and the agriculture industry at large. The investment will develop a two-year cohort program, Field to Future, that enables college students to receive career development support in the agricultural sector, including conference attendance, mentorships, scholarships provided by The PepsiCo Foundation and more. It will also allow select individuals to participate in a two-year paid internship within PepsiCo.
The company's investment and focus on these partnerships aim to address widespread global food system challenges by bringing fresh perspectives, innovation, and energy into the agriculture industry. All PepsiCo Foods products are born in the field—starting as potatoes, corn, or oats—and PepsiCo is committed to cultivating a robust agricultural supply chain from the seed to the shelf.
In 2021, PepsiCo launched PepsiCo Positive (pep+), the end-to-end transformation of its business to drive positive impact for both the planet and people. Today's announcement directly supports the pep+ Positive Agriculture agenda, which seeks to create a more resilient and inclusive food system by directly supporting farmers, securing a steady supply of key ingredients and improving social outcomes for all people throughout the supply chain.
