USA—General Mills and Ahold Delhaize USA (ADUSA) have announced a partnership to transition over 70,000 acres of farmland to regenerative agriculture by the end of 2025 in a move towards sustainable farming.
This initiative, unveiled on September 19, 2024, focuses on key supply regions in Kansas and Saskatchewan, where both companies source essential ingredients for their products.
The collaboration seeks to provide farmers with technical and financial support to adopt regenerative practices such as cover cropping and nutrient management.
Jay Watson, Director of Regenerative Agriculture at General Mills, emphasized the importance of this approach.
“This supply shed approach supports change at the farm level, which benefits all companies and stakeholders connected to the landscapes and works to create positive environmental impacts,” he stated.
The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), a nonprofit organisation promoting sustainable agricultural practices, will play a crucial role in this initiative.
ESMC will facilitate the implementation of regenerative techniques on the ground, ensuring that farmers receive adequate support while also measuring the environmental impacts of these practices.
Watson noted that ESMC’s involvement continues a collaboration that began in 2020, aimed at rewarding farmers for adopting regenerative methods.
The partnership is part of General Mills’ broader commitment made in 2019 to transition one million acres to regenerative agriculture by 2030.
This commitment aligns with their goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across their entire value chain by 30% by 2030.
“Collaboration and collective action are required to create lasting change,” Watson added, highlighting the need for partnerships across various sectors to achieve substantial environmental benefits.
Ahold Delhaize has also set ambitious sustainability goals to reduce its absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030, alongside a 15% reduction in scope 3 emissions.
Kendrick Repko, Director of Sustainable Products for Ahold Delhaize USA, remarked that this partnership represents ADUSA’s first farmland-focused pilot utilizing a supply shed approach rather than a crop-specific strategy.
“We look forward to the learnings from this supply shed collaboration and using the findings to drive further initiatives,” Repko said.
In addition to this partnership, Ahold Delhaize is actively pursuing other sustainability projects. Earlier this year, they launched the Shrimp Decarbonization Initiative in collaboration with The Thai Union Group and The Nature Conservancy, which aims to reduce emissions in the shrimp supply chain.
Furthermore, they have initiated a regenerative wheat pilot supporting Kellanova’s Cheez-It brand.
This collaboration between General Mills and Ahold Delhaize reflects a growing trend among food companies recognizing the importance of sustainable agriculture in addressing climate change.
By investing in regenerative farming practices, both companies aim to enhance soil health, contribute positively to their shared supply chains, and ultimately benefit consumers.
Both organisations are committed to transparency and accountability as they move forward with this ambitious project.
ESMC will ensure that independent third parties verify greenhouse gas reductions and soil carbon sequestration.
This rigorous approach aims to foster trust among stakeholders while promoting sustainable agricultural practices that can lead to long-term environmental benefits.
Through this partnership, General Mills and Ahold Delhaize are setting a precedent for collaborative efforts in the food industry to create a more resilient and sustainable agricultural landscape.
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