PepsiCo accelerates regenerative agriculture through partnership with National Geographic Society
Targeted crop systems include wheat, maize/corn, potato, soy, and coffee.
USA – PepsiCo and the National Geographic Society have unveiled five new grants to fund on-farm research advancing regenerative agriculture, targeting climate-vulnerable hotspots for key crops such as wheat, maize, potatoes, soy, and coffee.
The funding, part of the ongoing Food for Tomorrow initiative, supports scientists selected from 140 countries, integrating them into National Geographic’s Explorer community.
These grants emphasize practical innovations, from prairie rewilding in the US to AI-driven genomics translation for farmer guidance, aiming to scale soil-resilient practices over two years.
Projects span four countries, including Spain’s wheat-maize trials using biochar, cover crops, and microbes under drought conditions to build Mediterranean frameworks.
National Geographic’s Chief Science Officer, Ian Miller, highlighted alignment with century-old missions: protecting ecosystems, biodiversity, and carbon stores through agriculture.
“For over a century, the Society has been funding innovative science to understand our world better. Regenerative agriculture is an exciting new area of focus for us,” said Ian Miller, chief science and innovation officer at the National Geographic Society.
“This work is deeply interconnected with many longstanding issues that we tackle: safeguarding freshwater and coastal ecosystems; restoring landscapes to support biodiversity, reduce our carbon footprint, and secure irrecoverable carbon reserves, and more.”
Launched in 2025 as a pilot with 10 Explorers, Food for Tomorrow harnesses science, storytelling, and education to reshape global food systems.
PepsiCo’s EVP and Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Andrew stressed urgency amid climate pressures: “Farmers get one chance each season to make a crop succeed. That’s why strong, science-backed practices matter. By continuing to demonstrate what works, we can give farmers the confidence that regenerative agriculture not only helps build a more resilient food system but also strengthen their livelihoods.”
Later in 2026, outputs include photo exhibitions, videos, articles, and data visualizations showcasing the impacts of regenerative farmers.
This builds on PepsiCo’s regenerative commitments, 30% sourcing by 2025, expanding to potatoes and soy, while National Geographic amplifies narratives of changemakers planting trees to reclaim deserts.
Over the next two years, these Explorers will conduct research in real-world contexts and aim to find solutions to scale tailored regenerative agricultural practices.
Explorers will deliver multimedia campaigns to foster adoption and address food system strains, as farming occupies half of habitable land.
The collaboration signals corporate-philanthropic synergy, with grants fostering evidence-based tools for smallholders facing weather extremes.
As regenerative ag markets grow toward US$15 billion by 2030, these efforts could enhance yields, sequester carbon, and secure supplies for PepsiCo’s portfolio amid global disruptions.
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