Lower Emission Type of Sustainable Potato Fertilizer in Trials by PepsiCo and Fertiberia
PepsiCo team in Spain partnered with Grupo Fertiberia to trial a different, lower emission type of fertilizer that obtains hydrogen from the hydrolysis of water, using the energy of the sun.
Precision farming and the use of fertilizers from Fertiberia’s Impact Zero line, the first ever created from green hydrogen (replacing natural gas), allowed the innovative pilot program to go live. Both businesses, which are market leaders in their respective industries, are working toward a net-zero emissions future for the Spanish agriculture industry by serving as change agents and innovators.
“The use of sustainable fertilizers makes it possible to reduce emissions in potato cultivation by approximately 15%. For its production process, green ammonia is used, which is obtained by replacing hydrogen from natural gas with green hydrogen, thus producing plant nutrition solutions with a low carbon footprint. Fertiberia produces green ammonia at its production center in Puertollano (Ciudad Real), the first and largest green hydrogen plant for industrial use in Europe,” according to a recent press release.
In partnership with Garlan, PepsiCo’s longtime potato supplier, and a reference cooperative chosen by both businesses to carry out the program, the first plantings with green fertilizers have been made in La Rioja, Burgos, and lava. Precision agricultural techniques are utilized for their application, which enables an optimal application of the fertilizer due to the comprehensive information it provides on the state of the crops. The program is being implemented in a 400-hectare cultivable area, with a target of 1,500 hectares by 2025.
“We are very proud to announce this green fertilizer pilot program together with Fertiberia to reduce emissions associated with fertilizers and, consequently, those from agriculture, which represent a high percentage of our total emissions. This initiative complements others that we are already carrying out to regenerate the land and make it more fertile through regenerative agriculture practices,” Ángel Alonso, director of PepsiCo’s agricultural department for southwestern Europe, mentioned.
Alfredo Segura, Commercial Director of Fertiberia, added that his company is changing the paradigm in the agri-food sector with the development of Impact Zero.
“The use of renewables for the production of plant nutrition solutions together with permanent innovation in biotechnology will achieve a milestone that until very recently seemed impossible, such as the decarbonization of the primary sector in the EU. The agreement with PepsiCo confirms the potential of green hydrogen to achieve fully sustainable agriculture and makes Fertiberia the ‘facilitator’ of the viable development of this new energy vector in Spain,” Segura declared.
By 2030, PepsiCo in Spain plans to implement regenerative agriculture practices on 77,000 hectares, and the company is already developing targeted initiatives to train its farmers in this field. Action on the ground is essential to attaining the company’s goals of having net zero emissions by 2040.
The partnership with Fertiberia is a component of PepsiCo Positive, the company’s sustainability-focused strategy to quicken transformation and encourage positive effects on both people and the environment. PepsiCo Positive also includes support for the communities where it operates to enhance their quality of life as a fundamental pillar.