In 2013, General Mills committed to sustainably sourcing 100 per cent of their top ten raw material categories by 2020.
That from Sustainability Engagement Manager with General Mills, Jay Watson, who gave a presentation at the Farm Forum Event last week in Calgary, AB.
Watson says for crops such as oats for their Cheerios, they use a continuous improvement definition for sustainability.
"We work with producers in region to take their data, translate that farm level practice data into sustainable outcomes and metrics, and those farmers then have an opportunity to look at their operations through the lens of natural resource efficiency."
Watson says he left producers in the audience with a message to continue to do what you do best.
"That's to innovate, and experiment, and to push the envelope. We are going to have a lot more mouths to feed in the future, we're going to need to be more productive, and we need to make sure we're looking at not just profitability, but also other aspects, like social and environmental concerns, because more and more stakeholders are wondering about that."
He encourages producers to find more ways to share what they are doing on their operation.
"Easier said than done, but we have great stories to share. Every time I'm out meeting with producers, I'm blown away by the commitment, the stewardship, the care and compassion that goes into producing food. That needs to be shared more broadly."
Source : Steinbachonline