Monday
November 7
2022

Eugene Willemsen, CEO – PepsiCo AMESA, Shares the Company’s “Positive” Outlook on Sustainability

By Neesha SalianIn an exclusive interview with Gulf Business ahead of COP27, Willemsen sheds light on how sustainability and regenerative agriculture initiatives are transforming the company’s operations in Africa, Middle East and South Asia, and why COP27 can help drive change
As one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, PepsiCo is no stranger to scale. One of the popular facts you are most likely to chance upon is that its products – across 22 brands – are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. That said if you stop to think about it: every time you enjoy a bowl of your favourite cereal and a glass of refreshing juice, or a flavourful pack of potato crips and a cool, fizzy soda, there’s a complex supply chain, involving farmers, producers, transport companies and retailers, working around the clock to bring these products to you. However, such popularity brings with it the responsibility to minimise the impact on the environment.

A year since its launch, the PepsiCo Positive (pep+) strategy has been the turning point for the company and even more so for its operations in Africa, Middle East and South Asia (AMESA). Through pep+, the company is committed to using its scale to build a more resilient food system, be a consistent top market performer, attract the right talent and be a force for good by doing what’s right for people and the planet. For a company that sources 25 crops and ingredients from over seven million acres of farmland in 30 different counties while supporting 100,000 agriculture jobs worldwide, pep+ is and will continue to play a significant role in driving its future.

Eugene Willemsen, CEO – AMESA PepsiCo, who has been with the company for 27 years, says, “I have seen the organisation striving to become better, stronger and more sustainable for the business and the communities it operates in. From being a side project to becoming the future of business, sustainability has become the bottom line for business resilience. pep+ connects the future of our business with the future of our planet, from sourcing ingredients to making and selling our products more sustainably. We are ‘Winning with pep+’ because the end-to-end transformation strategy puts sustainability and human capital at the heart of creating shared value.”

Photo courtesy of Ja San Miguel.

Source: Gulf Business (link opens in a new window)

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Agriculture
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climate change