Our Impact at Scale: Funding Granted to Mott’s Apple Farmers by the State of New York

We believe that implementing regenerative agriculture and conservation initiatives in our apple supply chain is a critical component of supporting supply chain resiliency and longevity. Specifically, through our Apple Pollinator Program, we partner with the IPM Institute and Cornell University’s Danforth Lab to promote safe pest management practices and habitat conservation techniques with apple farmers in upstate New York. The goal of the three-year program is to create a pathway for apple farmers to protect their harvest while also benefiting the local ecosystem and supporting native pollinators. This work assists apple farmers who supply to Mott’s, part of KDP’s family of brands and a provider of applesauce products. We are proud of the program’s results to date, and we know that opportunities to scale our impact are crucial to meeting our goals and restoring and protecting natural resources.

That’s why we applaud the state of New York for awarding funding to a group of 10 apple farmers to support their efforts around regenerative agriculture. The grants will further enable these farmers to implement practices that support soil health on their farms, including cover cropping, improved pollinator habitats and buffer strips of vegetation in and around their orchards. Importantly, it will provide additional resources, beyond those provided by KDP, to implement practices that come at a cost to farmers to implement. This includes funding habitat enhancements identified in our Apple Pollinator Program, as well as broader conservation farming practices. Through collaborative action, KDP is proud to help take impact to the next level.

“We are always looking for ways to support farmers to make the transition to more sustainable farming practices, which can result in increased costs for farmers,” said Whitney Kakos, Director of Supply Chain Sustainability at Keurig Dr Pepper. “I’m excited that this group of Mott’s farmers will now benefit from a combination of public and private funding to support their work and make their farms – part of our shared supply chain – more resilient in the future.”

For more information on how KDP is supporting apple farmers and native bee populations, please watch our video below.