PepsiCo has deepened its collaboration with fertiliser producer Fertiberia to scale the use of green hydrogen‑based fertilisers across approximately 400,000 acres (162,000 hectares) of European farmland.
The long‑term agreement will see Fertiberia supply up to 150,000 tonnes annually of its Impact Zero crop nutrition products by 2030, helping decarbonise the production of key crops used in brands such as Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos and Ruffles.
The programme will initially roll out across France, Romania, Serbia, Greece and Turkey, while expanding on existing operations in Spain and Portugal, with further European markets expected to follow.
More than 1,500 farmers are expected to benefit from the initiative as PepsiCo accelerates its shift toward lower‑carbon agricultural inputs.
Building on successful pilot programmes
The partnership follows pilot projects in Spain and Portugal, where switching to Fertiberia’s low‑carbon fertilisers delivered measurable emissions reductions.
Field trials showed up to 20% emissions reduction in corn production and up to 15% reduction in potato farming.
These results provided early validation for scaling the technology across PepsiCo’s European supply chain.
“We’re working to lead the way on regenerative agriculture and helping to build a more resilient agricultural supply chain,” said Archana Jagannathan, chief sustainability officer for PepsiCo in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Green hydrogen at the centre of decarbonisation
The fertilisers used in the programme are produced using green hydrogen rather than natural gas in the ammonia synthesis process – a key shift given fertiliser production’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels.
This approach reduces fertiliser-related greenhouse gas emissions by up to 63%, while maintaining agronomic performance.
Fertiliser production and use currently account for a significant share of agricultural emissions, contributing to around half of PepsiCo’s potato carbon footprint in Europe.
By scaling low‑carbon fertilisers, PepsiCo expects to increase the share of such inputs to around 50% of its European supply chain by 2030.
Combining chemistry, biology and digital tools
Beyond switching the energy source behind fertiliser production, the programme also integrates technological and biological innovations to improve efficiency.
Fertiberia’s products incorporate slow‑release formulations, nitrification inhibitors to reduce nitrogen loss and enhanced nutrient delivery systems.
The partnership will also provide farmers with technical guidance, precision agriculture tools and digital systems to optimise fertiliser application and track regenerative practices.
This combination aims to improve yield, input efficiency and emissions performance.
A supply chain lever for Scope 3 emissions
The collaboration reflects PepsiCo’s focus on tackling Scope 3 emissions, particularly those linked to agriculture.
Globally, fertilisers account for around 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions, making them one of the largest and most addressable sources of emissions in food production systems.
The initiative supports PepsiCo’s broader goals to implement regenerative practices across 10 million acres globally by 2030 and reduce Scope 3 agricultural emissions by 30% by 2030 (from a 2022 baseline).
Farmers central to scaling adoption
Farmers remain central to the programme’s success, with early adopters reporting minimal disruption to operations.
A grower participating in the Portuguese pilot said the transition required no major changes to application practices, allowing farms to integrate low‑carbon fertilisers into existing workflows.
“It has been a smooth process… the fertilisation method is technically identical to our usual practice and doesn’t alter our daily operations,” the farmer said.
Collaboration as a pathway to decarbonisation
For Fertiberia, the partnership represents an opportunity to scale its low‑carbon fertiliser technology across major food supply chains.
David Herrero, chief operating officer, said the collaboration demonstrates how innovation and partnerships can deliver both environmental and commercial benefits.
“This is not just about fertilisers – it’s about showing that collaboration can drive both climate action and food security,” he said.
From pilot to system change
The expansion signals a broader shift within agri‑food toward decarbonising inputs at scale, rather than relying solely on changes in farming practices.
However, it also highlights a key challenge facing the sector: translating pilot‑level success into consistent, large‑scale adoption across diverse farming systems.
With more than 1,500 farmers now involved and hundreds of thousands of acres under management, the PepsiCo–Fertiberia partnership offers one of the most significant real‑world tests yet of whether green fertiliser can move from niche innovation to mainstream agricultural input.
