Yield

Heinz achieved its goal to increase tomato field yields 5% above Fiscal 2005 (absolute) in the following areas:

*Heinz-managed fields

Carbon Footprint Reduction (15%)

Heinz is leading a carbon sequestration project in association with the Sustainable Food Laboratory. Carbon sequestration is the process through which agricultural and forestry practices remove carbon dioxide (CO₂), the significant GHG emitted by human activities, from the atmosphere. The project is measuring carbon sequestration through the use of alternative tillage techniques and crop rotation. These activities can help combat global climate change by enhancing carbon storage in trees and soils, preserving existing tree and soil carbon and by reducing emissions of CO₂, methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O). The project began in 2009 on three regional tomato growing areas in California. Growers from each of the regions will participate for five years.

Heinz agriculture teams across the globe are also working to provide baseline data for carbon footprints associated with the tomato crops in various countries. The evaluations are considering both absolute and intensity measures.

Water Reduction (15%) for Crop Irrigation

Baseline periods will vary per crop and growing region due to the availability of the data. Our water reduction goal considers both the total amount of water used and the amount used per acre or hectare.

Specific to California tomato crops, the use of drip irrigation has grown from 30% to 55% of total acreage between Fiscal 2005 and Fiscal 2009. Our tomato paste producers grow 60% to 80% of their crops through drip irrigation.

Our water conservation techniques include:

• Developing hybrid tomato seeds through natural selection that require less water
• Evaluating pressurized systems that enable more efficient and accurate irrigation, compared to surface flood or furrow systems
• Analyzing water absorption rates, plant needs at each stage of growth and results of water testing tools, such as tension meters, soil probes and shovels, to observe moisture at plant root systems
• Designing systems that eliminate water runoff and minimize evaporation
• Testing irrigation systems for water application uniformity and variations in flow and pressure
• Developing procedures to regularly maintain and repair irrigation systems