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Walkers Crisps uses solar-powered sensors for a greener supply chain

Written by: Supply Chain Online
Published on: 1 Dec 2016
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WALKERS NEWSWalkers Crisps uses solar-powered sensors for a greener supply chain

Walkers Crisps has announced that its use of digital carbon calculators and solar-powered smart sensors has reduced the carbon footprint and water usage of the potatoes that comprise its crisps by half.

The deployment of this technology to farms in Walkers Crisps’ supply chain is made possible through the “50 in 5” environmental programme headed by its parent company, PepsiCo UK & Ireland. This programme aims to cut carbon emissions and water usage across its main crops by 50 per cent within five years.

David Wilkinson, European Senior Director of Agriculture at PepsiCo, said: “"We buy 340,000 tonnes of potatoes a year in the UK, so [we] have a real stake in trying to make the process of growing potatoes as sustainable as possible.

"We're very proud to have met our '50 in 5' target working in partnership with British farmers. This programme really demonstrates how businesses can work across the supply chain to minimise impact on the environment."

PepsiCo added that it collaborates with universities to introduce innovative technologies designed to lessen the environmental impacts of farming. It teamed up with Cambridge University to use iCrop sensors on its supply chain’s farms while also employing weather stations and solar-powered probes to deliver data on the exact moisture levels within the farms’ fields. 

Gavin Janaway, who supplies Walkers Crisps from Whitewater Farm in Hampshire, said that as resources increase in scarcity and extremities in the weather occur more often, UK farmers need their businesses to be more sustainable than ever to offset these challenges.

He added: “It is the responsibility of all stakeholders in the supply chain to care for the environment, and working in partnership is the way forward for sustainable farming. This initiative has been crucial in helping us achieve that, reducing our water and carbon and improving our yields."