General Mills, ADM and Walmart announced a strategic collaboration to accelerate regenerative agriculture across 40,000 Midwest wheat acres, focusing on regions where General Mills sources wheat from ADM for products sold through Walmart and Sam’s Club.
The program will target wheat-growing areas in Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. American Farmland Trust and Ducks Unlimited will provide technical assistance for the initial projects, which aim to improve soil health, water quality and carbon sequestration.
The collaboration builds on a 2023 commitment between General Mills and Walmart to advance regenerative agriculture across 600,000 shared acres by 2030. Programs are currently underway across more than 560,000 wheat acres in the U.S. ADM, which manages nearly 5 million regenerative acres globally, has joined the effort to accelerate progress.
“This strategic collaboration with Walmart and ADM underscores the importance of collective action across the value chain,” said Jay Watson, senior director of sustainability at General Mills. “By focusing on the wheat-growing regions that support our shared business, we aim to strengthen the resilience of ingredients for our beloved brands like Pillsbury, Betty Crocker and Totino’s.”
ADM will facilitate the program on the ground, providing farmers with technical assistance and financial incentives to adopt practices like no-till and cover crops.
“Together with General Mills and Walmart, we’re bridging the gap for farmers to increasingly adopt and expand regenerative practices,” said Katherine Pickus, chief sustainability officer at ADM.
The program supports General Mills’ goal of advancing regenerative agriculture on 1 million acres by 2030 and Walmart’s goal to protect, more sustainably manage or restore at least 50 million acres by 2030.
