PepsiCo and AgMission have partnered to award Charles Sturt University’s Cool Soil Initiative $2.1 million, to research sustainable agriculture and expand the initiative.
PepsiCo and AgMission, a global initiative co-founded by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), have awarded three grants to research agricultural potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The combined investment of over $10 million was awarded to researchers in Australia, Mexico and Canada, and will support evidence-based research on the effectiveness of climate-smart agriculture practices that incorporate regenerative agriculture principles. It will benefit Australia’s grain industry through enacting these climate-smart agricultural practices.
Multicampus university Charles Sturt was awarded just over $1 million by AgMission, which was matched by PepsiCo and supplemented by the university. Most of the research will be conducted at the AgriSciences Research and Business Park (AgriPark), at Charles Sturt's Wagga Wagga campus.
The research initiative builds upon the foundation laid by the Cool Soil Initiative since its inception in 2018, collaborating with farmers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve soil health.
AgriPark executive director, Nick Pagett, said the research was indicative of Charles Sturt’s commitment to driving innovation in agriculture.
“It’s not just about driving innovation, but also demonstrates our value in working with partners to find solutions to the challenges posed by climate change,” he said.
“It’s a great honour to be one of only three recipients of this global grant and to have the opportunity to provide the Australian cropping sector with new insights into climate smart practices.
“It’s great to see companies like PepsiCo, who is one of the six partners of the Cool Soil Initiative, looking for opportunities like AgMission to support climate smart agriculture in Australia and around the world.”
PepsiCo aims to invest in sustainability initiatives globally, including through the APAC Greenhouse Accelerator Program, of which the 2024 results were announced last month.
In 2023, PepsiCo helped to extend the reach of Charles Sturt's Cool Soil Initiative, bringing canola to the GHG reduction program for the first time. The partnership enabled PepsiCo to contribute to supporting farmers in future-proofing their farming systems, while ensuring PepsiCo can continue to source canola from Cool Soil regions into the future.
The program has researchers evaluating over 300 Australian farms to understand how different agricultural practices and geographic locations influence soil health, to understand current climate-smart agriculture innovation for each major Australian cropping system.
The new grant will enable Charles Sturt researchers to use insights gained from the Cool Soil Initiative’s five years’ worth of on-ground support and GHG reporting across wheat, canola and corn farms on the east coast of Australia, and establish a new farmer cohort for oats in Western Australia.
PepsiCo ANZ sustainability manager, Brent Gapes, said the partnership and grant would deliver meaningful results for farming on a global scale.
“As one of Australia’s largest snack manufacturers we are committed to ensuring the development and implementation of Australia’s sustainable farming practices,” he said.
“Our partnership with AgMission is helping us to further charter a new course to drive positive action for the planet and people, building a circular and inclusive value chain.
“We’ve seen the benefit of the Cool Soil Initiative first-hand in the past twelve months and we’re delighted to be able to further support the growth transformative work of Charles Sturt University within this space.”
This funding is part of a broader $10 million investment to expand the Cool Soils Initiative, providing science-backed solutions to improve soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support sustainable farming practices.
The initiative is crucial for enhancing environmental sustainability and providing valuable Scope 3 GHG and impact reporting through the supply chain to the food industry.
Cool Soil Initiative director, Fiona McCredie, said the funding provided an opportunity to expand understanding of climate-smart agricultural practices across different regions in Australia.
“In having this understanding, we can then work with farmers to build resilience as they navigate climate-related challenges,” she said.
“The Cool Soil Initiative is all about sustainable production and making a difference on ground by translating science and insights into practical actions which support sustainable food production and have those practices recognised by the supply chain.”
