Amid the invasion of Ukraine, PepsiCo has drawn criticism for agreeing to export 2,000 tons of Scottish seed potatoes to Russia in a deal worth almost USD800,000 (GBP600,000).
The deal with Aberdeen-based seed potato growers, Saltire Seed, came with the approval of the Scottish government, Business Insider recently wrote, citing info’s coming from Times of London. The same media source added that a government spokesperson denied this and told The Times that it did not approve export deals.
The agreement comes at a time when several major corporations have cut trade ties with Russia. PepsiCo recently announced it had suspended select beverage sales, capital investments, and all advertising in Russia.
According to a statement, however, PepsiCo’s CEO Ramon Laguarta said it would continue selling “other products in Russia, including daily essentials such as milk and other dairy offerings, baby formula and baby food.”
A PepsiCo spokesperson told the outlet that as a food and beverage company, it “must stay true to the humanitarian aspect” of the business.
“We are continuing to support the livelihoods of the 40,000 Russian agricultural workers in our supply chain as they face significant challenges and uncertainty ahead,” they said.
