Miller Magazine Issue: 153 September 2022

52 MILLER / SEPTEMBER 2022 NEWS The multi-year partnership will support farmers and accelerate regenerative agriculture in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada. General Mills and ALUS (Alternative Land Use Services) announced a multi-year partnership to support farmers and accelerate regenerative agriculture in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada – key regions where General Mills sources oats for brands like Cascadian Farm, Cheer- ios, and Nature Valley. The U.S. $2.3 million investment enables ALUS to grow its community-led programming with a focus on soil health through its new Growing Roots pilot program, offering both technical and financial assistance to farmers. The partnership aims to remove barriers to entry and maxi- mize benefits for local producers, communities, and the environment. “We were drawn to ALUS’ grassroots approach with farmers at the center,” said Mary Jane Melendez, chief sus- tainability and global impact officer, General Mills. “Now, in- terested farmers in these communities can gain a greater understanding of regenerative agriculture and how best to apply those principles to their farm’s unique environmen- tal, social and financial context, along with the power of peer knowledge-sharing and community support.” ALUS supports General Mills’ commitments to advance regenerative agriculture on one million acres of farmland by 2030, reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions – 60 percent of which are from agriculture – across its value chain (scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 30 percent by 2030, and ulti- mately achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The investment from General Mills provides robust support to increase farmer mentorship and fund in-field projects that follow regenerative agriculture techniques. Funding also provides enhanced data collection, scientif- ic research, and the sharing of this critical information with key stakeholders. “ALUS has been interested in developing a comprehen- sive on-field program focused on soil health for years and we’re delighted that General Mills, a leader in this area, has become our foundational partner,” said Bryan Gilvesy, CEO, ALUS. “We believe the creation of this program is a catalyst for engagement from other corporate, govern- ment and philanthropic partners interested in ALUS pro- gramming and its outcomes and impact across Canada.” Each organization encourages farmers, companies, and others who may be interested in growing the regen- erative agriculture farmer-led movement in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada to visit ALUS.ca or reach out to Nicole Baldwin at nbaldwin@alus.ca to learn more. General Mills invests $2.3 million to advance regenerative agriculture in Canada with ALUS