Three major players in the global food and retail sectors have announced a joint agricultural initiative aimed at accelerating the adoption of regenerative farming practices across 40,000 wheat acres in the US Midwest.
The collaboration between General Mills, ADM and Walmart focuses on key growing regions where General Mills sources wheat through ADM for products sold at Walmart and Sam's Club, establishing a shared value model designed to strengthen supply chain resilience.
Initial projects will be implemented with technical assistance from conservation organisations American Farmland Trust and Ducks Unlimited. The joint effort aims to deliver measurable improvements in soil health, water quality and carbon sequestration across participating acres.
The programme focuses on wheat-growing regions in Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. By aligning sustainability investments around a shared physical supply footprint, the participating companies aim to secure the long-term viability of key ingredients used in household brands such as Pillsbury, Betty Crocker and Totino’s.
The initiative represents an extension of existing commercial partnerships, aiming to address shared environmental footprints by focusing on the agricultural source. Representatives from the companies noted that investing collectively across the value chain allows them to share the financial and operational risks associated with transitioning agricultural systems.
Technical Support
The programme will be facilitated on the ground by global nutrition and agricultural origination company ADM. Participating growers will receive a combination of technical assistance and financial incentives to support the adoption of regenerative practices, including no-till farming and cover cropping.
By providing direct financial and educational support, the coalition aims to help farmers overcome the initial economic and operational barriers often associated with transitioning to regenerative methods.
ADM, which currently manages nearly 5 million regenerative acres globally, will leverage its existing infrastructure to monitor, measure and report on the environmental outcomes of the programme, ensuring data-driven tracking of soil health and carbon metrics.
Corporate Sustainability Targets
The initiative builds on established sustainability commitments held by each of the participating companies. In 2023, General Mills and Walmart pledged to advance regenerative practices across 600,000 shared acres by 2030, and active programmes are currently underway across more than 560,000 US wheat acres.
This project supports the individual long-term targets of all three companies:
🌾 General Mills aims to advance regenerative agriculture across 1 million acres by 2030.
🛒 Walmart, in collaboration with the Walmart Foundation, has set a target to protect, restore or more sustainably manage at least 50 million acres by 2030.
🚜 ADM continues to expand its global footprint, directly engaging thousands of farmers to implement sustainable practices across millions of acres.
By coordinating efforts across retail, manufacturing and agricultural origination, the partners expect to demonstrate how collective supply chain investment can drive broader, structural improvements in agricultural sustainability.
