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Dive Briefing:
The owner of East Coast grocery chains Food Lion, Giant Food and Stop & Shop Investing with General Mills Expanding regenerative agriculture for key ingredients like wheat and oats as part of our efforts to reduce emissions across our shared value chain.
Ahold Delhaize USA and the Minneapolis-based maker of Cheerios and Betty Crocker products plan to jointly invest in farms that adopt regenerative farming practices such as cover crops and nutrient management techniques. Financial details were not disclosed.
The collaboration focuses on geographic growing regions where key ingredients such as wheat and oats are sourced. The partnership will advance regenerative practices on more than 70,000 acres of farmland in Kansas and Saskatchewan, Canada, by the end of 2025.
Dive Insight:
This is Ahold Delhaize USA’s second foray into regenerative agriculture this year. Kelanova during the summer We helped a North Carolina farm that grows the wheat used to make Cheez-It crackers adopt sustainable practices, another example of how some of the biggest players in the food supply chain are working together to address climate issues.
“This relationship underscores that strategic collaboration is essential to addressing climate impacts and creating positive environmental outcomes,” Mark Stoltzman, chief sustainability officer for Ahold Delhaize USA, said in a statement. “Ahold Delhaize USA looks forward to using the lessons learned and outcomes from this supply chain collaboration to drive progress across our supply chain.”
Unlike the Kelanova partnership, which worked directly with stakeholders involved in the production of Cheez-It crackers, the General Mills collaboration will focus its investment on the supply warehouses where ingredients are typically sourced, i.e., the entire region.
The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium, a nonprofit that pays farmers and ranchers to improve the environment through their agricultural practices, will facilitate the joint effort between Ahold Delhaize and General Mills, the company said in a press release. The ESMC will oversee impact measurement for greenhouse gas reductions and soil carbon sequestration and coordinate third-party verification.
General Mills has been investing since 2020. millions of dollars Our partnership with ESMC helps Kansas wheat growers implement regenerative farming practices across 10,000 acres. Our partnership with Ahold Delhaize continues this effort.
“By creating opportunities for co-investment in regenerative agriculture solutions, producers, businesses and consumers all benefit,” ESMC Executive Director Debbie Reed said in a statement.
