USAID and PepsiCo are partnering to make the business case for women’s empowerment in the PepsiCo potato supply chain in West Bengal, India. The partnership is improving women’s access to land, skills, and employment and entrepreneurial opportunities to increase adoption of sustainable farming practices, performance of PepsiCo Key Performance Indicators, and women’s income and agency, showing that investing in women’s empowerment makes good social, economic, and environmental sense.
Under a collaboration between USAID’s Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Hub and the Land and Resource Governance Division, the activity is implemented by the Integrated Land and Resource Governance (ILRG) program. This pilot is the foundation for a USAID-PepsiCo Global Development Alliance, which is making the business case to scale women’s economic empowerment approaches throughout its agricultural supply chains around the world.
Key Results – Year Two (2020 – 2021)
- One thousand and sixty-seven (1,067) women trained in potato agronomy and sustainable farming practices.
- Forty-one (41) PepsiCo staff trained in gender equality and women’s roles in agriculture.
- Two (2) women’s land leasing groups gained access to land to produce potatoes, entering the PepsiCo supply chain as independent producers and producing 250-255 bags/acre, well above the 200-210 average in their areas.
- A land leasing group managed the only women-led PepsiCo demonstration farm in West Bengal, showcasing agricultural technology, sustainable farming practices, and women’s leadership in farming.
- Twelve (12) community agronomists and three (3) women field agronomists increased PepsiCo’s capacity to reach and support women, as well as community acceptance of women as valuable sources of agricultural knowledge.
- Indicators of improved business performance have been observed, including above-average productivity by women’s land leasing groups, increased brand loyalty, and potential expansion of the farming supply base for PepsiCo.
- Evidence of women’s economic empowerment is emerging: women have improved self-image, confidence, mobility, access to knowledge and resources, income, and decision-making power, with increased acceptance by family and community members, and collective agency.