PepsiCo announced plans to roll-out its new i-crop farming technology on a global basis. The web-based tool, which was developed by PepsiCo in conjunction with Cambridge University, United Kingdom, is a crop management system that will enable PepsiCo’s farmers around the world to monitor, manage and reduce their water use and carbon emissions, while also maximizing potential yield and quality.

Trials of i-crop are currently underway at 22 farms in the U.K., where PepsiCo on October 18 announced ambitious plans to reduce carbon emissions and water usage by 50 percent across the farming of its core crops in the next five years. The technology will be rolled-out in Europe in 2011 and then will come to the United States. The company hopes to take it to India, China, Mexico and Australia by 2012.

In 2009, the company announced 15 global goals and commitments to guide its work to protect the Earth’s natural resources through innovation and more efficient use of land, energy, water and packaging. In the U.K., the company is the largest purchaser of British potatoes and one of the largest purchasers of British oats and apples.

Richard Evans, President of PepsiCo U.K. and Ireland said, «i-crop has the potential to revolutionize the way we farm, enabling our farmers to save costs and water and carbon consumption, while at the same time improving their yields.»

In its first Sustainable Farming Report published on October 18, PepsiCo U.K. outlined how it is working in partnership with its 350 British farmers to reach its aim of ’50 in 5′. Other initiatives announced include trials of new low-carbon fertilizers and plans to replace more than 75 percent of PepsiCo U.K.’s current potato stock with varieties that will significantly improve farmers’ yields and decrease wastage by 2015.