PepsiCo Türkiye's "One Drop One World" Project's New Stop is Tekirdağ

The "One Drop One World" project, launched by PepsiCo Türkiye in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Center, continues in Tekirdağ in 2026. In the new phase, which will be carried out in partnership with the Önder Çiftçi Production and Marketing Cooperative, drip irrigation applications as well as conservation agriculture and direct seeding methods will be implemented, aiming to protect the water resources and soil health of the Meriç-Ergene Basin.

The protection of water resources, the sustainability of agricultural production, and adaptation to climate change are among the priority agenda items of the food industry. In line with the "Net Water Positive" vision of the PepsiCo Positive (pep+) strategy, PepsiCo Türkiye continues its projects supporting water efficiency and basin-based water management.

In this context, the One Drop One World Project, which was launched in the Tarsus Berdan Basin in 2023 in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Center, was implemented in Manisa and İzmir in 2024, and in Adana in 2025, spreading to different agricultural basins. The project's implementation area for 2026 is Tekirdağ.

In the new phase to be carried out with the Önder Çiftçi Production and Marketing Cooperative, applications aimed at protecting the underground and surface water resources of the Meriç-Ergene Basin will be implemented.

Alongside water efficiency, soil health is also brought into focus
To date, drip irrigation applications have been carried out on approximately 3,000 decares of land within the scope of the project. In 2026, conservation agriculture applications have been added to the project.

In this context, farmers will be encouraged to till the soil less and to directly seed onto stubble. Thus, it is aimed to preserve soil structure, increase water retention capacity, and reduce the amount of water used in agricultural production.

Along with the improvement of soil health, it is aimed to reduce the pressure on the water resources of the Meriç-Ergene Basin and to make agricultural production more resilient against climate change.

"We are placing water management at the center of our sustainability strategy"
PepsiCo Türkiye General Manager Ergün Günay stated that the protection of water resources is critically important not only environmentally but also socially and economically, and said the following:

"As PepsiCo Türkiye, we are placing water management at the center of our sustainability strategy. We are moving forward with determination in line with our goals of using less water, recovering the water we use, and increasing access to clean water. With our 'One Drop One World' project, which we launched with this understanding, we returned approximately 1.14 million m³ of water to nature in 2025 in the basins where our operations in Tarsus, Manisa, İzmir, and Adana are located. We returned 100% of our operational water use in Tarsus and İzmir, 98% in Manisa, and 52% in Adana to local basins."

Regarding the Tekirdağ phase of the project, Günay said, "Now, in collaboration with the Önder Çiftçi Production and Marketing Cooperative in Tekirdağ, we aim to further expand the positive impact we have created by contributing to the protection of the underground and surface waters of the Meriç-Ergene Basin."

Direct seeding aims to increase soil water retention capacity
Rising temperatures, drought, and extreme weather events brought on by climate change are increasing the importance of water and soil management in agricultural production. For this reason, applications that increase resource efficiency in agricultural production and preserve soil structure are becoming increasingly prominent.

The direct seeding method to be applied within the scope of the One Drop One World Project aims to contribute to preserving soil moisture and increasing the amount of organic matter through reduced tillage.

Unlike traditional tillage methods, direct seeding does not require the soil to be reworked between harvest and new planting. Seeding is carried out using special seed drills on the area where the stubble from the previous crop remains.

This application is expected to contribute not only to the protection of water and soil resources, but also to the reduction of fuel and labor costs. Thus, it is aimed to optimize resource use in agricultural production, reduce farmers' costs, and increase the resilience of production against climate change.

Önder Çiftçi Cooperative will support producers
The Önder Çiftçi Production and Marketing Cooperative, which is the partner in the Tekirdağ leg of the project, provides support to producers in the supply of seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers, as well as in the processes of evaluating and bringing the obtained products into the economy.

The cooperative, which carries out work on the production and evaluation of alternative products particularly within the scope of the contract farming model, contributes to strengthening the agricultural production chain throughout Thrace.

The One Drop One World Project brings together irrigation technologies that increase water efficiency with conservation agriculture applications that support soil health, presenting a holistic model for the more efficient use of water, soil, energy, and economic resources in agricultural production.