Nearly a year has already passed since the moment when Tropicana and the Carbon Trust , an independent not for profit ecological company, began to analyze a carbon footprint for Tropicana products and their lifecycles.

It was found, that the largest single source of carbon emissions (almost 35%) was fertilizer use and application for the growing process. So, to reduce its carbon footprint, the brand should care about fertilizers.

Thus, Tropicana and one of its long-time growers, SMR Farms in Bradenton, Florida decided to carry a pilot study to test two alternative fertilizers to determine whether using either could significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with the agricultural production of oranges.

They will test two lower-carbon fertilizers produced by Yara International and ERTH Solutions (pic.).

As for results, one should wait them only after five years, because this period is needed to match the maturity cycle of orange trees. But if the experiment will be successful, Tropicana says it will reduce its carbon footprint by as much as 15%.