PepsiCo shared the experiences of the participants who were part of the project “Next Generation Agriculture Fund” (NGAF), launched in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
For this project we invested in GuatemalaDominican Republic and Ecuador more than 2 million dollars in training in sustainable practices and in the women empowerment. In the case of Guatemala, we worked with potato producers in Alta Verapaz and the field execution was carried out by the Fundasistemas organization with the accompaniment of the PepsiCo Guatemala agriculture team.
Learn more about the project in the following video:
A transformative project
Since its inception in 2021, the Fund aimed to promote the gender equality and sustainability in agriculture. Local farmers received training in Good Agricultural Practices with a focus on regenerative agriculture, promoting sustainable, productive and equitable food systems.
This project not only seeks to increase crop productivity, but also improve the quality of life of women and their communities. Through community training processes, issues of gender equality and masculinities were addressed, creating an inclusive space where men and women can collaborate optimally in the agricultural sector.
The project operated on 6 hectares and had 42% participation of women in different stages of production. In the initial pilot, 32 metric tons of yield (crop) per 1.6 hectares were achieved, with a 0% rejection rate at the manufacturing plant.
Voices of the project
Leiva, producer from San Juan Chamelco shares: “We had to learn that the soil had to be in good condition. Both men and women were together in the training. What I liked the most was learning how to fumigate to take care of my land and learning how to use the equipment. I would like more women to be with us, who want to support our families.”.
“First they trained us on gender and I learned a lot about rights. “I want to be able to tell my daughters that they have the right to participate and contribute to their families.”added Ana, a producer from San Juan Chamelco.
“As we at PepsiCo continue our vision of “PepsiCo Positive”, focused on people and the planet, we are proud that this project not only contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals, but also transforms lives,” highlighted Daniel Salazar, general manager of PepsiCo Foods for Central America North.
Now several of these women have roles at the level of accounting, secretaries and planting supervision, in the different agricultural associations to which they have joined. Female empowerment and sustainable agriculture go hand in hand and are not only translated into numbers, but into stories of life and progress in communities where women like Leiva and Ana are the heart of this change.
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