General Mills: Environmental Responsibility

By setting goals that push the company to do more, we demonstrate leadership in establishing aggressive goals within the food industry. 

For example, because we set goals: 

  • General Mills burns oat hulls left over from the milling process to reduce one of our plant's carbon footprints by about 21 percent. 
  • We have an irrigation process that uses 50 percent less water than conventional furrow irrigation, and also reduces electricity and pesticide use. 

Our fact sheets contain these and other interesting details. 

Videos from this campaign

Content from this campaign

Supply Chain & the Circular Economy

Why General Mills Want Supply Chains to Become Regenerative Stewards of the Environment
US food producer General Mills plans to equip its supply chain farmers with the knowledge and tools to move from practices that mitigate environmental degradation to regenerative approaches. https://bit.ly/2FHmGB5

Environment

General Mills to Adopt Regenerative Soil Practices
General Mills Inc. (GIS) said Monday that it will accelerate the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices on one million acres of farmland by 2030.

Environment

The Challenges Facing Sustainable Agriculture
Kevin O’Donnell, director of sourcing and operations sustainability at General Mills, discusses the importance of implementing eco-friendly practices throughout the agriculture industry.

Environment

General Mills Announces Regenerative Land-Use Goal: 1 Million Acres by 2030
General Mills committed Monday to expanding regenerative agriculture practices by 2030 on one million acres of land used to source its food ingredients. The Golden Valley-based food company is starting with oats grown in the U.S. Northern Plains and southern provinces of Canada, and will partner with both organic and conventional farmers and suppliers of wheat, corn and sugar beets over the next decade. The commitment includes at $500,000 grant to Kiss the Ground, a nonprofit organization that conducts on-farm training programs for growers implementing the practices. Regenerative agriculture is an umbrella terms for a suite of land management practices aimed at improving the health of the soil, which is seen as way to combat climate change.

Environment

General Mills Has a Plan to Regenerate 1 Million Acres of Farmland
In 2014, the United Nations issued a warning to farmers: If they don’t change their agricultural practices, most of the soil they rely on to sustain their livelihoods will disappear within 60 years. Industrial-scale agricultural practices lean on polluting machinery and chemicals, which contaminate farmland. Insistence on monoculture–growing a single crop on the same patch of land–saps the soil of nutrients that more diverse crops deliver. And aggressive tilling breaks down soil structure and makes it harder for healthy land to regenerate.

Environment

New National Consortium Forms From Ecosystem Services Market Program; Executive Director Selected
Today, ten private-sector companies and nonprofit organizations have announced their intent to join together to form the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC).

Environment

General Mills Promotes Focus on Soil Health
The food company asks farmers to emphasize diverse crop rotations, minimal tillage and keeping soil covered in plants


Environment

General Mills Recognized as Global Leader in Corporate Sustainability
Today, General Mills announced it has been recognized as a global leader in corporate sustainability by environmental impact non-profit CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) achieving a place on the CDP ‘A List’ for both climate change and water security - two out of three environmental themes covered by CDP scores.

Environment

Why Soil Health Matters for Food and Beverage Businesses
When I speak about our work in soil health, I will often see a head tilt with a questioning look. Why would a food company have any interest in soil? That’s when I take a step back and share that 99 percent of our food comes from the soil. Being a food company, the connection is instantaneously made.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Healthy Soil 101: Why Soil Health Matters and How the Food Sector Can Help
Most of us don’t think too closely about dirt, but perhaps we should. After all, it’s the foundation of all life on Earth.

Beyond sustaining plant life—and the rest of the food chain along with it—soil itself is very much alive. One handful of dirt contains up to 50 billion bacteria and hundreds of thousands of individual fungal cells. As these microorganisms move through the soil, they feast on minerals and dead organic matter and leave nutrients behind, allowing plants to grow and ecosystems to thrive.

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  2. 2017 Global Responsibility Report
    For 150 years, General Mills has been making food people love while investing to make the world around us better. We believe that being successful in...

  3. General Mills: Environmental Responsibility
    By setting goals that push the company to do more, we demonstrate leadership in establishing aggressive goals within the food industry. For example...

  4. General Mills | Sustainability
    Our sustainability mission is to treat the world with care. Our focus areas include: Climate change, Water stewardship, Sustainable sourcing...

  5. General Mills Foundation & Philanthropy
    Our philanthropic work is an extension of the company's purpose and ties closely to our core business and food systems knowledge. We work in...

  6. You Grow, Girl!
    This series is comprised of contributed pieces from female farmers around the globe – from the northern reaches of Canada, to the heartland of the U.S...

  7. General Mills | Global Responsibility Report Archive
    At General Mills, we know that food plays a central role in people’s lives and has a profound impact on the environment and communities worldwide. We...

  8. Addressing Climate Change from Farm to Fork
    General Mills announced on August 31 a commitment to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent across its full value chain – from farm to...

  9. Responsible Sourcing
    We are committed to sustainably sourcing 100 percent of our 10 priority ingredients by 2020, representing more than 40 percent of our annual raw...

  10. General Mills: 2018 Global Responsibility Report
    For 150 years, General Mills has been making food people love and making the world around us better. In this, our 48th year of reporting back to our...