Advancing measurement and technology: General Mills believes that measuring environmental and economic outcomes is critical to ensure that implementing regenerative agriculture leads to desirable outcomes. We are leading the industry in developing robust scientific methodologies to monitor and study the outcomes associated with regenerative agriculture in order to ensure credibility of our efforts. In partnership with numerous scientific organizations, we are conducting in-depth research on the impacts of regenerative management on soil health and carbon sequestration, water quality and conservation, insect and bird biodiversity, and farm economics. In addition to this farm-level research, we are implementing technologies that will allow us to quantify environmental impacts across entire regions where we source key ingredients. Using satellite imagery, we have begun to track changes in agriculture practices such as cover crops and no-till on the landscape over time and model the resulting impacts on metrics like greenhouse gas emissions. We are also developing more scalable approaches to monitoring biodiversity across farms, utilizing microphones for recording birds and light sensors to detect insects. Current Future Expensive, labor-intensive work to collect and analyze samples and farm data. Satellite imagery of agricultural practices Model environmental and economic outcomes High-tech sampling and monitoring for model validation + + + + In partnership with Furman University, we built a model simulating the effects of regenerative agriculture on bird populations and biodiversity. The model compared the current landscape to scenarios with 25%, 50% and 75% of cropland using regenerative agriculture practices in the Central Great Plains. Preliminary results suggest regenerative agriculture may play an important role in conserving many woodland and grassland species of birds on agricultural landscapes. Tracking regenerative agriculture outcomes on biodiversity r Our leadership in piloting groundbreaking technology is advancing the industry’s understanding and measurement of regenerative agriculture impacts. Riani (Ray) Lourens grew up on a farm in South Africa before relocating to a remote farming community in Saskatchewan, Canada. Her family’s operation is part of the General Mills Northern Plains Regenerative Agriculture Pilot program which kicked off in 2019. Ray has been working with Understanding Ag to implement regenerative management techniques on the majority of the farms’ managed acres, specifically incorporating livestock, nutrient cycling and reducing inputs. After the first year of participation, Ray’s expertise and leadership was recognized by Understanding Ag. As a result, she was invited to serve as a field consultant for Understanding Ag and work with other pilot farmers in addition to continuing as a pilot participant. Ray also helps with overall program administration and farm data collection to document the impact of regenerative management on ecosystem functions and farm/community resilience. Farmer spotlight “The best part about being in a project like this is the opportunity to meet other farmers who are like-minded and share thoughts and ideas. With our short growing season, we have unique challenges and have to find ways to incorporate the principles of soil health in context to our environment and individual operations.” — Ray Lourens GENERAL MILLS GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY 30 Food Planet People Community