The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, which provides financial incentives to farmers who adopt conservation practices, recently announced a new partnership with PepsiCo, Inc. and Ingredion, to catalyze farmers’ adoptions of practices which reduce carbon footprints and improve water quality.
 
In 2021, this partnership will target 20,000 acres of cropland in northern Illinois, an important supply-shed territory for both of the corporations in the partnership. The partnership is a component of the efforts that PepsiCo and Ingredion are making to scale regenerative agriculture practices in a farmer-centric manner driven by outcomes. PepsiCo recently accelerated its science-based climate goals, which largely center around regenerative agriculture practices. Among other goals, the company plans to support the adoption of regenerative practices across 7 million acres of farmland by the year 2030. Likewise, sustainable agriculture and water management are a major part of Ingredion’s 2030 sustainability goals.
 
The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund provides incentives directly to farmers who transition to using conservation practices, such as no-till farming and cover crops, which help sequester carbon into the soil (which reduces greenhouse gas emissions) and improves water quality. The resulting verified environmental outcomes are sold to a diverse group of public and private beneficiaries, including corporations like Pepsi and Ingredion, municipalities, state departments of agriculture, and the federal government.
 
“We are thrilled to partner with corporate sustainability leaders like PepsiCo and Ingredion to deliver the verified environmental outcomes needed to meet their ambitious sustainability goals while providing new conservation incentives to growers in a key supply shed,” Mark Lambert, managing director of the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, and CEO of ReHarvest Partners, said.
 
“The opportunity for farmers to earn revenue from environmental outcomes that result from introducing conservation practices, on top of existing crop outputs, is a win-win scenario,” Adam Kiel, managing director of the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund and executive vice president of AgOutcomes, said. “We look forward to providing assistance to farmers on their journey to further conservation efforts, enhance on-farm productivity, and steward the land for future generations.”
 
PepsiCo and Ingredion join Cargill and Nutrien Ag Solutions as pioneering companies targeting corporate emissions by partnering with the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund to empower farmers in key regions to mitigate climate change, regenerate soils, and improve water quality. In 2021, the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund plans to expand to more than 100,000 acres of cropland across Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, and the Chesapeake region. This expansion will significantly increase opportunities for farmers to be compensated for implementing conservation practices that produce verified environmental outcomes.
 
“PepsiCo recognizes that nature provides enormous opportunities to strengthen our supply chain and the resilience of the farmers we touch,” Margaret Henry, director of Sustainable Agriculture at PepsiCo, said. “By aiding their transition to regenerative agriculture through this partnership we are investing in the farmers’ future profitability, while working to ensure a steady supply of ingredients for PepsiCo’s products and helping to meet our climate goals.”
 
“Ingredion is committed to making a meaningful difference as we work to make life better, so it is fitting that we focus our sustainability initiatives on practices that make a positive impact on the world,” Andy Utterback, senior manager of sustainability at Ingredion, said. “By collaborating with our customers and stakeholders, Ingredion can assist growers in adopting regenerative agriculture practices that increase the resiliency of their operations and ensure the stability of our agricultural supply chain.”