General Mills and Walmart Collaborate to Advance Regenerative Agriculture on 600,000 Acres by 2030

Key Takeaways

1. General Mills, Walmart, and Sam’s Club have announced a partnership to accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture across 600,000 acres in the U.S. by 2030.
2. The initiative will be supported through grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and will focus on various crops, including wheat.
3. The collaboration aims to improve soil health, watersheds, biodiversity, climate change, and farmer economic resilience.
4. The efforts will target seven U.S. states in the Northern and Southern Great Plains.
5. The partnership aligns with both companies’ sustainability goals and contributes to Walmart’s goal to protect or restore at least 50 million acres of land by 2030.

General Mills, Walmart, and Sam’s Club have joined forces to promote regenerative agriculture across 600,000 acres in the United States by 2030. This collaboration aims to accelerate the transition to regenerative agriculture practices, focusing on improving soil health, watersheds, biodiversity, and climate change, among other outcomes.

A Collaborative Approach

The partnership will be supported through grants administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The initial projects will focus on various crops in the Northern and Southern Great Plains, including wheat. The targeted states include North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Minnesota.

Shared Sustainability Goals

Both General Mills and Walmart share a belief that regenerative agriculture can help address climate change and create positive outcomes for both people and the planet. Jon Nudi, Group President, North America Retail at General Mills, expressed excitement about bringing products like Pillsbury refrigerated dough and Blue Buffalo pet food to Walmart shelves more sustainably.

Impact on Farmer Economic Resilience

The collaboration aims to provide financial assistance to local grantee organizations through NFWF, building out the education and coaching resources needed to help accelerate regenerative agriculture. The objective is twofold: support the transition to regenerative agriculture and elevate the potential for more resilient yields for farmers.

Aligning with Corporate Sustainability Goals

This joint effort marks meaningful progress toward both companies’ individual sustainability goals. It puts General Mills on pace to exceed its goal of advancing the adoption of regenerative agriculture on one million acres by 2030. In collaboration with the Walmart Foundation, it also contributes to Walmart’s goal to protect, more sustainably manage, or restore at least 50 million acres of land by 2030.

Photo by Bence Balla-Schottner on Unsplash