General Mills and Ecosystem Services Market Consortium, an ecological nonprofit, have detailed a roadmap to scale Eco-Harvest, ESMC’s program to compensate farmers and ranchers who make agricultural-based environmental improvements.
Prioritizing regions in the U.S. and Canada where General Mills ingredients are sourced, the company has made a $3 million investment that includes an ESMC grant to support Eco-Harvest’s launch, development, and funds to scale regional programs.
“As a founding member of ESMC, General Mills is proud to expand its partnership and reward farmers for the quantifiable impact they’re having on the environment by advancing regenerative agriculture,” said Mary Jane Melendez, chief sustainability and global impact officer of General Mills, in a statement. “As a non-profit, ESMC gives us confidence that the greatest possible value will go to the farmers…General Mills is inviting supply chain partners and other companies that source from these same regions to collaborate on this effort to have the greatest impact.”
Eco-Harvest is a voluntary program that creates and sells credits for specific environmentally positive characteristics, like increased soil carbon and reduced greenhouse gases.
Eco-Harvest and General Mills share a commitment to advance regenerative agriculture to one million acres by 2030, reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
“With our Eco-Harvest market launched, we are excited to partner with General Mills on our joint vision to scale regenerative agriculture outcomes from U.S and Canadian producers using our science-based, standards-based approach,” said Debbie Reed, executive director of ESMC, in a statement.
“We have spent more than three years building, testing, and refining our program. Now, we can scale impacts to not only pay farmers but also tap the interest from companies like General Mills, along with investors and consumers who are seeking transparent and meaningful actions.”
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