Why a food and drinks giant is betting big on crop science

Forty-five billion. That’s how many potatoes are used every year to make Lay’s, Ruffles, and other snacks produced by food and beverage giant PepsiCo. These potatoes are a crucial link in PepsiCo’s global supply chain, so it’s in the company’s best interest to make sure every farmer’s annual harvest is dependably strong. These days, however, farmers are dealing with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. A sustained drought leaves fields dry and dusty. A sudden flash flood washes away crops and robs the soil of critical nutrients. The list goes on, and that unpredictability is a big deal for PepsiCo. “If we don’t have a strong, resilient food system that can supply the crops, the ingredients, and the products that we need, then we don’t have a business,” says Jim Andrew, PepsiCo’s chief sustainability officer. PepsiCo recognized it needed to take action to address the threats facing farmers and food producers around the world. In 2021, the company set an ambitious goal to spread more sustainable farming practices across millions of acres of farmland and sustainably source many of its key ingredients, from potatoes and corn to oats. Recognizing the growing pressures facing fa…