General Mills releases global responsibility report
General Mills has released its 2019 Global Responsibility Report, outlining its approach to creating environmental, social, and economic value in the countries where it operates.
General Mills has released its 2019 Global Responsibility Report, outlining its approach to creating environmental, social, and economic value in the countries where it operates. The progress made by General Mills in 2018 demonstrates the company’s long-term commitment to protect and restore the resources upon which its business and communities depend, with an increased focus on advancing regenerative practices across its supply chain.
Improving soil health: Through 2018, General Mills has invested more than $4 million in soil health initiatives on U.S. agricultural lands. In March, the company announced a commitment to advance regenerative agriculture on one million acres of farmland by 2030. In addition, General Mills has developed a Regenerative Agriculture Measurement Protocol, which outlines how to determine the impact of agricultural management on soil health throughout General Mills’ network of regenerative farmers and ranchers. The company also launched the General Mills Regenerative Agriculture Scorecard, a self-assessment tool to help farmers understand how their practices influence soil health, biodiversity and economic resilience in farming communities.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: In 2018, General Mills’ greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) footprint decreased 13% compared to 2010, across its value chain in the areas of agriculture, packaging, producing, shipping, converting, selling, and consuming. The company’s GHG emissions fell 4% versus 2017, while net sales increased 1%.
Responsible sourcing: In 2013, General Mills made a commitment to sustainably source 100% of its 10 priority ingredients by 2020. These priority ingredients represent 40% of the company’s annual raw material purchases and include cocoa, vanilla, oats, U.S. wheat, U.S. sugar beets, U.S. corn (dry milled), U.S. dairy (raw fluid milk), fiber packaging, sugar cane, and palm oil. Six years into the commitment, the company is at 85% its goal.
Strengthening communities: The efforts of the General Mills Foundation are tied closely to the company’s purpose, core business, and food systems knowledge with three global focus areas: increasing food security, advancing sustainable agriculture, and strengthening hometown communities. In 2018, the company and its Foundation donated more than $102 million to charitable causes and enabled 29 million meals for food-insecure children and families through General Mills food donations globally.