Washington, DC, October 4, 2022 – The Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), the Organization of American States (OAS) and PepsiCo Latin America Beverages, presented the Eco-Challenge 2023: Sustainability Awards. The announcement took place during the celebration of the “I Young Americas Meeting” in Lima, Peru, within the framework of the 52nd OAS General Assembly.

The Eco-Challenge 2023 has as objective support business models that contribute to the construction of a more sustainable world and that are developed by young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 34, residents or citizens of the OAS Member States. The program is focused on promoting a sustainable society through the development of human talent, the optimization of production processes and the introduction of circular economy models.

“We are very excited to launch the fourteenth edition of the Eco-Challenge, providing young entrepreneurs from Latin America and the Caribbean a platform that gives them the opportunity to generate positive change for people and the planet. At PepsiCo Latin America Beverages, we remain committed to working towards a more sustainable future and we trust in the enormous potential of youth to generate disruptive ideas that allow us to achieve the change that our planet needs”, commented Flavia Araujo, Head of Corporate Affairs, PepsiCo Latin America Beverages.

In 2021, PepsiCo introduced pep+ (PepsiCo Positive), a strategic transformation across all the company’s operations with sustainability as the central axis to create growth and value, inspiring positive change for communities and the planet. The Eco-Challenge 2023 is part of this commitment to involve the greatest number of people on this path.

The call for the fourteenth edition of the program will remain open from November 1 to December 31 of this year on the program’s website: https://ticamericas.net/eco-challenge/. The categories of the 2023 Eco-Challenge are:

– Education: that benefits farmers, producers and consumers to understand the principles of sustainability, the impact of climate change and the benefits of regenerative agriculture, promoting social mobility, gender equality and social inclusion.

– Technology: to support value chains, from producer to consumer, to improve sustainability, reduce environmental impact and carbon footprint, as well as, optimize water use and plastic recycling.

The initial evaluation process will select eight projects as program finalists, who will have access to a series of personalized training activities before competing for the prize for the best project in each category, which includes a US$10,000 dollars bonus among other non-monetary benefits.

“Through the Eco-Challenge, the youth of the Americas have been able to contribute effectively to the efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), assuming a leading role in the development of solutions and working in partnership with the private sector, governments and their communities. Through the alliance with PepsiCo, the youth of the region have the opportunity to contribute positively to their community and act responsibly with the planet. For YABT it is an honor to work with PepsiCo and to be able to build together a generation of young sustainable entrepreneurs.” commented Luis Viguria, Chief Executive Officer of the YABT.

The Eco-Challenge is the special category of innovation within the Talent and Innovation Competitions of the Americas (TIC Americas), which offers its participants permanent access to training by experts and national and international support networks, among other business resources. Since its creation in 2009, the Eco-Challenge has established itself as a pioneering program for young entrepreneurs committed to sustainable development. To date, the Eco Challenge has involved more than 28,000 young people from 34 countries on the continent, becoming a benchmark program for innovation and youth entrepreneurship in the Americas.

For more information to participate in the Eco-Challenge, contact us via: ticamericas@yabt.net

If you would like to relive the Eco-Challenge 2023 launch session, please visit: https://fb.watch/fY91TAOKQl/