With a growing number of food companies working on sustainability initiatives, General Mills announced its commitment to advance “regenerative” agriculture practices on one million acres of farmland by 2030. The Company, which currently has agreements covering less than 10,000 acres, plans to partner with organic and conventional farmers, suppliers and farm advisors in key growing regions to drive the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices. The company says “regenerative agriculture is a holistic method of farming deploying practices designed to protect and intentionally enhance natural resources and farming communities. These practices focus on pulling carbon from the air and storing it in the soil in addition to helping the land be more resilient to extreme weather events.” Key crops include oats, wheat, corn, dairy feed and sugar beets. "We have been feeding families for over 150 years and we need a strong planet to enable us to feed families for the next 150 years," said Jeff Harmening, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of General Mills. "We recognize that our biggest opportunity to drive positive impact for the planet we all share lies within our own supply chain, and by being a catalyst to bring people together to drive broader adoption of regenerative agriculture practices." General Mills is granting $650,000 to non-profit organization Kiss the Ground to support farmer training and coaching through Soil Health Academies where growers will learn how to increase farm profitability, build resiliency into the land and decrease input costs using soil health practices.
Regenerative agriculture steps up
