Through regenerative agriculture innovation, General Mills is fostering a healthier, more resilient planet that can feed the population for generations to come.
Climate change and soaring population growth continue to threaten the global food supply. To meet food demand and preserve the health of the planet, conventional farming practices must evolve in a way that strengthens ecosystems and community resilience.
“We depend on a healthy planet to make food the world loves,” says Jay Watson, senior director of sustainability at General Mills. “The quality of the land that our ingredients come from is directly tied to our ability to make food over the long term.”
With a portfolio of beloved brands, such as Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Nature Valley, Annie’s and more, the Minneapolis-headquartered global food company is the largest producer of natural and organic packaged food in the U.S. Since 2019, the company has built on its 160 years of food experience, and helped accelerate regenerative agriculture, a farmer-led movement.
“We believe regenerative agriculture is one of the most meaningful ways we can help people and the planet,” says Watson. Unlike contemporary conventional farming methods, regenerative agriculture treats the health of the soil, water, plants, animals, people, and planet as interconnected, and places life at the center of every action and decision. “It’s a powerful nature-based solution that can help safeguard water and soil resources, protect biodiversity, and improve the resilience of farms and local communities,” says Watson.
General Mills takes a holistic approach to regenerative agriculture designed to deliver impact across multiple levels of the food system: business and brands, key supply sheds (where ingredients for the company are sourced), and broader landscapes and farming communities of which many stakeholders depend. It’s a collective effort involving supplier partners, nongovernmental organizations, industry peers, conservation professionals, and more.
“Regenerative agriculture is more than just a farming method; it’s a profound investment in our collective future,” says Watson. “By working hand-in-hand with farmers and partners, we’re not just securing ingredients; we’re cultivating a legacy of healthy ecosystems and thriving communities for generations to come.”
An often overlooked benefit to adopting regenerative agriculture practices is the social impact. Through a study General Mills conducted with Ecotone, they projected a 400% social return on investment. For every $1 contributed towards regenerative agriculture, approximately $5 in additional social, environmental and economic value was generated in comparison to conventional. In the Cheney Lake Watershed region, an investment of approximately $38 per acre per year in regenerative techniques is estimated to yield a $189 return on investment per acre – which is spread across the farmer or landowner, state and federal taxpayers, local community members, society, and municipal water users.
At the heart of its efforts is General Mills’ ambition to create and support thriving farming communities. All company initiatives—from initial investment in soil health programs in 2016 to the 75 agricultural projects presently underway—are shaped by insights from farmers. They prioritize funding for on-the-ground programming in targeted supply sheds, where local organizations design farmer-centered technical support mechanisms, financial incentives, and community-based learning. Through the company’s partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, they support field conservation professionals who work directly with farmers to develop stewardship actions. As a result, these programs have the potential to generate economic benefits for farmers alongside positive environmental outcomes on more than 1.6 million acres of cropland and ranchland in the U.S.
To advance progress and address scale, General Mills has partnered with several agricultural nongovernmental organizations, including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, ALUS, North Dakota Trusted Advisor Partnership, Xerces Society, and the Rodale Institute. The company has also funded research at leading universities across the U.S. and Canada that are studying regenerative systems and impact to targeted outcomes.
“Measuring regenerative agriculture outcomes today is a significant undertaking, requiring time, manual field sampling, and expensive data analysis,” says Watson. To enable better protocols, technology, and methods of measuring impact, General Mills has invested in research spanning soil health and carbon sequestration, water quality and conservation, insect and bird biodiversity, and farm economics. The company is also implementing technologies that support quantifying environmental impacts across entire regions where they source key ingredients.
“This work takes time, but it’s essential to build a food system that can feed people for generations to come,” says Watson. “It’s imperative that we do our part as a food company to invest in stewards of the land and the natural resources that we depend upon.”
Recognizing the importance of collaboration across the value chain, General Mills also has ongoing partnerships with Walmart and Ahold Delhaize USA that support regenerative farming initiatives.