PepsiCo Signs Multi-Year Deal for Green Hydrogen Fertiliser Across European Supply Chain

PepsiCo and Spanish agricultural chemicals company Fertiberia have signed a multi-year agreement to scale the use of low-carbon, green hydrogen-based fertilisers across PepsiCo's European agricultural supply chain. Fertiberia will supply up to 150,000 tons of low-carbon crop nutrition solutions annually by 2030, covering approximately 400,000 acres of farmland growing potatoes, corn, sunflower, sugar beet, and rapeseed.

Fertiliser production and use currently represents approximately half of the average potato carbon footprint in Europe, making it one of PepsiCo's largest agricultural emissions reduction opportunities. The partnership supports PepsiCo's target to implement regenerative or protective farming practices across 10 million acres globally by 2030 and to reduce Scope 3 forest, land, and agriculture emissions by 30% by 2030 against a 2022 baseline. A pilot project in Spain and Portugal demonstrated that Fertiberia's low-carbon fertilisers reduced potato farming emissions by up to 15% and corn farming emissions by 20%.

The programme will initially launch in France, Romania, Serbia, Greece, and Turkey, while expanding existing initiatives in Spain and Portugal. Key ingredients for PepsiCo brands including Lay's, Doritos, Ruffles, and Cheetos are among the crops covered. Fertiberia's low-carbon fertilisers use green hydrogen and an innovative bio-inhibitor technology called NSAFE, described as the world's first bio-inhibitor of nitrification, which prevents nitrogen losses and improves nitrogen uptake efficiency in crops.

The agreement includes provisions for technical guidance and digital tools, including precision agriculture technologies to help farmers optimise fertiliser application and track regenerative agriculture practices. Globally, fertilisers account for approximately 2% of greenhouse gas emissions, making the sector a significant but often overlooked opportunity for emissions reduction in food supply chains. PepsiCo plans to expand the partnership to additional European countries over time, with the ultimate aim of transforming agricultural procurement practices across its European operations.

Key figure — 150,000 tons of low-carbon fertiliser to be supplied annually to PepsiCo by 2030