PepsiCo Egypt recently celebrated the fourth harvest season of the potato crop, as part of the “She Feeds the World” program.
The program began back in 2020, a collaboration with the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the CARE Egypt Foundation, supported by PepsiCo Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm.
The program aims to empower rural women in the agricultural sector, foster self-sufficiency and economic empowerment, as well as improve the living conditions of citizens and developing the rural community.
PepsiCo Egypt shared that it aims to support 390,000 individuals by empowering 10,000 female farmers in the governates of Beheira, Giza, Minya, and Beni Suef through the program.
The current season saw a development in the program’s framework in terms of the quality of crops, with an expansion of the scope of work to include a larger number of beneficiaries.
“The female farmers participating in the “SFtW” program successfully overcame numerous challenges and obstacles, which empowered them to become entrepreneurs, having demonstrated their competence in the agricultural sector by successfully completing the full work cycle of producing high-quality potatoes. This encompassed acquiring seeds, cultivating the crops, and selling them to various suppliers, including one of the main suppliers of Chipsy Egypt,” the company said.
Mohamed Shelbaya, CEO of PepsiCo Egypt & North Africa, commented: “In Egypt, we are implementing one of the largest agricultural programs in PepsiCo Global, through which we cultivate 40,000 acres. Our plan in Egypt aims to achieve 100% of our direct potato supply with 100% Egyptian hands, in line with the global guidelines for sustainable farming practices (SFP). We are proud that over 90% of the potatoes we produce in Egypt are from sustainable sources. As for the “SFtW”, we have achieved more than 106% of the targeted beneficiaries of the program, reaching over 413,176 beneficiaries compared to the planned target of 390,000 individuals.”
The program also supported the highest number of women managing land themselves this year, reaching a total of 148 female farmers.
Further, through the “SFtW” economic empowerment program, a total of 1,955 women have been trained to access new income-generating opportunities, and 1,029 women have been integrated into value chains of artichokes, okra, grapes, and potatoes.
Additionally, 14,627 women have joined the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) out of the targeted 10,000 women.
The program, it was shared, has also provided training to female farmers on agricultural practices and best irrigation practices through field business development schools established by CARE Egypt Foundation, working on demonstration fields for modern irrigation systems.
As a result, 624.95 million litres of water have been saved in Minya governorate so far.