PepsiCo Foundation and EIT Food Support the Farmers of the Future

The Harvest of the Future Program, developed through collaboration between the PepsiCo Foundation and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology Food Community (EIT Food), has launched in Turkey. The program, which will initially cover 200 farmers, is expected to reach approximately 900 producers across Turkey, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Poland by the end of 2026, contributing to the widespread adoption of sustainable farming practices.

PepsiCo, one of the world's leading food and beverage companies, has added another initiative to its work supporting sustainable agriculture. The Harvest of the Future Program, developed through collaboration between the PepsiCo Foundation and EIT Food, supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), has begun implementation in Turkey with the aim of helping farmers establish climate-resilient, productive and future-ready farming operations.

Support for next-generation producers
According to data from the Union of Agricultural Chambers of Turkey (TZOB), the average age of farmers in Turkey reaches approximately 59. Climate change, rising production costs and market fluctuations create significant pressures particularly on small and medium-sized farming operations. This situation makes supporting young producers and accelerating generational transition in agriculture more important than ever.

Developed in response to this need, the Harvest of the Future Program aims to support the transition to more sustainable production models by providing knowledge, technology and strong partnerships to farmers taking over or beginning to manage family operations as well as future agricultural professionals.

AI-supported training through Doktar partnership
Financed by the PepsiCo Foundation and coordinated by EIT Food, the program is being implemented through a partnership with Doktar, which develops artificial intelligence and digital farming technologies in Turkey.

Participants will take part in:

regenerative agriculture,
climate-resilient production,
digital farming technologies,
business and financial management,
entrepreneurship and leadership

in-training courses as well as field clinics, field visits, mentoring programs and hands-on learning activities. This aims to enable producers to directly transfer the knowledge they acquire to their own operations.

First phase begins with 86 producers
The first phase of the program in Turkey began with 86 farmers engaged in corn and canola production in Tekirdağ, Edirne, Istanbul, Kırklareli and Adana.

In the second phase, priority will be given to potato producers, particularly in Tekirdağ, Mersin, Manisa and Kocaeli, with plans to include 114 additional producers in the program. This aims to bring the number of farmers participating in the program in Turkey to 200.

Forty producers selected under the program will also be supported with field visits, peer learning programs and customized development roadmaps for their operations.

"We aim to strengthen the resilience of farming communities"
Monica Bauer, Senior Vice President of Global Social Impact at PepsiCo and President of the PepsiCo Foundation, commented on the program:

"As a food and beverage company, we have strong ties to agriculture. The farmers who produce the raw materials that form the foundation of our products face significant challenges such as rising costs and climate change. As the PepsiCo Foundation, we aim to support programs like the Harvest of the Future that stem from local needs, helping farming communities become more resilient and sustainable in the long term."

"We are investing in the future of European agriculture"
EIT Food CEO Richard Zaltzman commented:

"The future of European agriculture depends on next-generation producers seeing agriculture as a field where they can innovate and lead. Through this collaboration with the PepsiCo Foundation, we provide farmers with the knowledge, competencies and connections needed to establish more resilient production models."

"We aim to transform agriculture into a stronger career field"
PepsiCo Turkey General Manager Ergün Günay said:

"As PepsiCo Turkey, we see the sustainable transformation of agriculture as one of the important priorities in our value chain. We believe that this program, implemented through partnership with Doktar, will increase producers' access to innovative solutions and contribute to the widespread adoption of more efficient production models. We also believe it will make agriculture a stronger and more sustainable career field for young people."

Program to continue until year-end
Applications for the program, to be conducted during the June-December period, will be open to farmers in countries where implementation is taking place and candidates who wish to develop themselves in the agricultural field. The application timeline and participation terms will be announced through communication channels of EIT Food and program partners.