The new partnership between the US beverage giant and the Spanish fertiliser specialist will aim to scale the use of low‑carbon fertiliser, supporting more than 1,500 farmers across Europe.
PepsiCo and Fertiberia’s programme will initially launch in France, Romania, Serbia, Greece and Turkey, while expanding in Spain and Portugal and plans to roll out to additional European markets in the near future.
This latest initiative follows a successful pilot between the firms in Spain and Portugal, where switching to Fertiberia’s low‑carbon fertiliser reduced potato and corn farming emissions by up to 15% and 20% respectively.
As part of this newest phase, PepsiCo and Fertiberia will roll out the use of green hydrogen‑based fertiliser across approximately 400,000 acres of farmland used to grow ingredients for a range of crisps brands, including Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos and Ruffles.
“We’re working to lead the way on regenerative agriculture and help build a more resilient agricultural supply chain,” said Archana Jagannathan, chief sustainability officer of PepsiCo Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“Switching to low‑carbon fertiliser is one of the strongest levers we have to reduce agricultural emissions, and the use of digital technology can complement this journey towards food system transformation. We’re excited by the success of our pilot in Spain and Portugal and look forward to scaling this ambitious partnership across Europe.”
The programme will also see participating farmers offered technical guidance and digital tools, including precision agriculture technologies that use data to optimise application rates and track the implementation of their regenerative agriculture practices.
According to PepsiCo, the collaboration is expected to result in approximately 50% of the fertiliser used in its European supply chain coming from low‑carbon sources by 2030, in combination with existing supplier agreements.
Fertiberia says its high‑tech, low‑carbon fertiliser is produced using green hydrogen instead of natural gas, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 63%.
The move forms part of PepsiCo’s regenerative agriculture and Scope 3 emissions reduction ambitions, with plans underway for a 30% reduction by 2030, against a 2022 baseline.
David Herrero, chief operating officer at Fertiberia, added: “Since 2022, we have been developing lower‑carbon hydrogen‑based fertilisers, powered by cutting‑edge technology such as NSAFE, the world’s first bio‑inhibitor of nitrification that prevents nitrogen losses and accelerates the transformation of European agriculture.
“Today, this journey takes on greater meaning thanks to the trust of partners like PepsiCo, with whom we are collaborating to help decarbonise agri‑food value chains. This is not just about fertilisers, it’s about demonstrating the importance of collaboration and showing that innovation, when shared, can drive both climate action and food security across Europe.”
