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Collaboration Between Ahold Delhaize USA and General Mills to Expand Regenerative Agriculture
Ahold Delhaize USA, the owner of popular grocery chains like Food Lion, Giant Food, and Stop & Shop, is teaming up with General Mills to enhance regenerative agriculture practices for key ingredients such as wheat and oats. This partnership aims to decrease emissions throughout their supply chain.
Both companies plan to invest in farms that implement regenerative agriculture techniques like cover cropping and nutrient management. The focus will be on growing regions where these key ingredients are sourced, with a goal to advance regenerative practices on over 70,000 acres of farmland in Kansas and Saskatchewan province by 2025.
Strategic Environmental Collaboration
This collaboration marks Ahold Delhaize USA’s second venture into regenerative agriculture this year, following a successful pilot with Kellanova in support of sustainable wheat farming for Cheez-It crackers. It demonstrates how major players in the food industry are joining forces to address climate challenges.
Chief Sustainability Officer Marc Stolzman emphasizes the importance of strategic collaboration in tackling climate impacts and achieving positive environmental outcomes. Ahold Delhaize USA aims to leverage insights from this collaboration to drive progress across its supply chain.
Unlike previous partnerships, the General Mills collaboration will focus on investing in entire regions where ingredients are commonly sourced, rather than individual stakeholders. The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium will facilitate the joint effort, overseeing impact measurement and verification of greenhouse gas reductions and soil carbon sequestration.
Investing in Sustainable Agriculture
General Mills has been actively investing in regenerative agriculture since 2020, with a particular focus on Kansas wheat growers. Through partnerships with organizations like ESMC, General Mills has supported the adoption of sustainable practices across thousands of acres. The collaboration with Ahold Delhaize USA further expands these efforts.
ESMC’s Executive Director, Debbie Reed, highlights the benefits of co-investing in regenerative agricultural solutions, emphasizing that producers, corporations, and consumers all stand to gain from these initiatives.