General Mills, ADM and Walmart have announced a strategic collaboration to accelerate regenerative agriculture across 40,000 wheat acres in the US Midwest.
The programme focuses on wheat-growing regions where General Mills sources wheat from ADM for products sold through Walmart and Sam’s Club. The companies said the initiative is intended to strengthen supply chain resilience while supporting farming communities.
The collaboration builds on an existing commitment made by General Mills and Walmart in 2023 to advance regenerative agriculture across 600,000 shared acres by 2030.
According to the companies, programmes are already underway across more than 560,000 wheat acres in the United States. ADM has now joined the initiative to accelerate progress in Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.
Initial projects will receive technical assistance from American Farmland Trust and Ducks Unlimited, with the aim of delivering improvements in soil health, water quality and carbon sequestration.
ADM will facilitate the programme by providing farmers with technical assistance and financial incentives to adopt regenerative farming practices, including no-till cultivation and cover crops.
The companies said the initiative is designed to address barriers to adoption, encourage wider participation and support measurable environmental outcomes.
The collaboration is centred on wheat-growing regions that support the participating companies’ shared supply chain.
According to the announcement, the programme aims to improve the resilience of agricultural supply while supporting farmer livelihoods and environmental outcomes.
The collaboration contributes to each company’s existing sustainability objectives.
General Mills said the programme supports its goal of advancing regenerative agriculture across one million acres by 2030. The initiative also contributes to Walmart’s goal, in collaboration with the Walmart Foundation, to protect, more sustainably manage or restore at least 50 million acres by 2030, while supporting ADM’s efforts to empower farmers across millions of acres to improve soil health.
Jay Watson, Senior Director of Sustainability at General Mills, said: “This strategic collaboration with Walmart and ADM underscores the importance of collective action across the value chain, and we hope it inspires others to see what’s possible when companies invest together. 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, while supporting farmer livelihoods and the health of our planet.”
Katherine Pickus, Chief Sustainability Officer at ADM, said: “The success of regenerative agriculture depends on the entire value chain. Together with General Mills and Walmart, we’re bridging the gap for farmers to increasingly adopt and expand regenerative practices. Partnerships are what power this work and help build farm resilience.”
Mikel Hancock, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives, Sustainability at Walmart Inc., said: “What makes this relationship and this project so unique is that we have taken a true shared value approach to it. The key component is to be able to continue to make improvements while meeting the needs of farmers and driving economic resiliency within those farms for long-term supply resilience to deliver on what works for our customers and members.”
