FSC US gets $100K PepsiCo boost for Southeast forestry pilot

By AI, Created 10:26 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – FSC US is launching a Responsible Forestry Accelerator with WWF after PepsiCo committed $100,000 to the pilot. The program aims to expand FSC-certified forest management in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi and test a pathway to scale across the U.S. Southeast.

Why it matters: - The pilot is designed to make FSC certification more reachable for forest owners in the U.S. Southeast. - FSC US says the effort could help expand responsible forest management, support rural economies and improve outcomes for forests, climate and communities. - The U.S. Southeast is a key supply-chain region because of its biological diversity and economic importance.

What happened: - FSC US announced a $100,000 investment from PepsiCo to launch the Responsible Forestry Accelerator. - FSC US developed the pilot with WWF. - The initiative is focused on Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. - PepsiCo is participating through its responsible sourcing work and its involvement in WWF’s Forests Forward corporate engagement program.

The details: - The pilot aims to advance 50,000 acres of FSC US forest management certification by the end of 2026. - The program will test and refine certification pathways for forest owners and suppliers. - The accelerator will also examine climate-related benefits tied to FSC certification. - FSC US says the pilot is intended to lay the groundwork for scaling to 1 million acres of certified forestland across the U.S. Southeast by 2028. - The effort will work with group forest management certificate holders, forest owners, demand-side companies and other partners. - The goal is to reduce financial and technical barriers that often keep forest owners from seeking certification. - FSC US says the pilot is meant to create durable, landscape-scale impact. - PepsiCo said the investment supports its responsible sourcing priorities and its pep+ strategy. - PepsiCo said pep+ is helping the company source key ingredients and materials under its Sustainable Sourcing Guidelines and spread regenerative agriculture, restorative and protective practices across millions of acres worldwide. - FSC US said more than 3,000 companies and over 36 million acres of forestland are FSC-certified in the United States.

Between the lines: - The partnership signals a shift from broad corporate forest goals to place-based implementation in a specific region. - FSC US is trying to prove that certification can be scaled by combining buyer demand, conservation expertise and on-the-ground support for landowners. - WWF said it is in discussions with other companies that are committed to responsible forestry and communities. - Insights from the pilot are intended to inform future expansion and replication.

What’s next: - FSC US, WWF and PepsiCo will use the pilot to identify what works, what slows adoption and how to expand certification more broadly. - The organizations will monitor whether the effort reaches the 50,000-acre target by the end of 2026. - FSC US plans to use lessons from the pilot to support a larger Southeast expansion by 2028. - More companies may join the effort as WWF continues discussions with interested corporate partners.

The bottom line: - PepsiCo’s funding gives FSC US and WWF a near-term test case for turning responsible forestry commitments into certified acres on the ground.