We believe one of the biggest barriers to widespread regenerative agriculture adoption is the shortage of experienced conservation professionals to help farmers implement regenerative agricultural systems. General Mills has partnered with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to help overcome this barrier by enabling greater local impact and providing more financial resources to farmers to reduce the economic risk of implementing new practices. The NFWF–General Mills partnership will support the hiring of field conservation professionals who will work directly with landowners to develop and implement planning and stewardship actions that generate economic benefits alongside positive environmental outcomes. Locally led programs will offer assistance that is adaptable to each producer’s unique goals, experience, risk tolerance, and other considerations on their path to a regenerative system. By focusing on the Great Lakes Basin and the Southern Great Plains, this effort prioritizes areas that are important for fish and wildlife, and advances regenerative agriculture principles in key ingredient sourcing regions for General Mills. General Mills’ investment with NFWF will be matched at a 2:1 ratio by the USDA National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and local conservation organizations. Scaling regional impact through partnership Research partnerships: Our regenerative agriculture commitment is the product of many long-term partnerships and investments. Just as we are working to help farmers implement regenerative principles, we are working with scientists to advance our understanding of complex farm ecosystems and the impacts of regenerative agriculture. Below are some of the partners we’ve worked with recently to study the soil health, biodiversity, climate, and economic impacts of regenerative systems. Brand activations: We know that our consumers care about where and how the ingredients in their food are grown. We work to advance regenerative agriculture by developing products with ingredients using regenerative principles. As we continue our journey to communicate and establish the importance of regenerative agriculture to consumers, on-pack messaging is a powerful way for us to introduce commitments, progress, and the farmers with whom we are partnering in this journey. Market opportunities: We work to increase market opportunities for farmers using regenerative management techniques. General Mills is a Founding Circle member of the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) and is working to advance market-based incentive mechanisms for farmers who reduce their environmental impacts. Soil health partnerships n University of Manitoba n Colorado State University n The Ecosystem Services Market Research Consortium n Soil Health Institute n Resource Environmental Solutions n The Ecdysis Foundation n University of Minnesota n Furman University r Some of General Mills products made with ingredients grown using regenerative principles General Mills, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) are partnering to pilot test ESMC’s program that rewards farmers for generating ecosystem services like greenhouse gas reduction and water quality improvement through regenerative agriculture. In the pilot, launched in 2020, General Mills and KDHE are testing ESMC’s protocols and processes to measure environmental impacts and pay farmers for soil carbon sequestration, reduced greenhouse gases, and improved water quality. The pilot is a leading example of public and private sectors coming together to quantify environmental improvements and compensate farmers for the environmental benefits they produce through regenerative agriculture. “Providing funds to farmers for their outcomes through an ecosystem payment is cutting edge and an important part in the future of agriculture. Instead of reacting to issues created by mainstream, traditional agriculture, this payment approach aims to eliminate them before they could even become a problem.” — Brandon Kaufman, Kansas farmer, co-founder of Sustain-A-Grain (growing Kernza) and partner in the ESMC program Piloting market opportunities with farmers GENERAL MILLS GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY 31 Food Planet People Community