DSS launched four years ago to invest in new technologies and partnerships with innovators to develop sustainability solutions. The company invests both resources and funding to enable innovations to adapt Diageo’s supply chain and grow its brands in a more sustainable way.
John Cant, head of DSS, said: “One of the key challenges for smallholder farmers in Africa is their exposure to climate change and water scarcity. This technology has the potential to increase yield and remove uncertainty for the farmers, helping them to earn more from their farms, while giving Diageo the product we need to make great products.”
The partnerships with AquaSpy, Clean Crop Technologies and Smart Cloud Farming will help tackle unpredictable weather and a gap in agriculture monitoring capabilities which creates challenges to smallholder farmers.
Initially, the pilots will take place in East Africa, Kenya and Uganda, and if successful will be scaled across Diageo’s supply chain.
