Lay’s, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, with the support of PepsiCo Foundation and in cooperation with Anadolu Meraları, has initiated a restorative/regenerative agriculture model that greatly reduces chemical inputs in the soil. The first harvest was achieved in the Lay’s Regenerative Agriculture project implemented in Konya.
With the project, it is aimed to significantly reduce the rate of chemical inputs used in the soil. The inputs used in plant nutrition and protection methods in the application area where the project is implemented have been reduced by approximately 70 percent in potato, and 20 percent in corn, sunflower and sugar beet, compared to conventional production.
Co-Founder of Anadolu Meraları, Durukan Dudu, evaluating the model implemented by using regenerative agricultural practices such as green manure, compost extract, closed irrigation system, integrated control methods, and pollinator support, said, “To truly fight the climate crisis and to provide nutritious food to humanity all over the world. We have to,” he said.
Durukan Dudu pointed out that it is a necessity to move into the “repair age” and summarized his three basic strategies in this model as “making, explaining and demonstrating new agricultural practices within the project”, “Free financial support” and “Scientific reporting of ecological repair”.
Esra İren, Vice President of the Executive Board of PepsiCo Turkey, stated that they wanted this model, which they pioneered, to inspire farmers and institutions, and continued as follows:
“We see building a sustainable food system as a common issue, beyond institutions and companies. With this understanding, we believe that cooperation on this issue should increase.”