ALUS and General Mills expand community-led regenerative agriculture partnership after successful pilot.
A Growing Roots participant shows the density of root structures at their project site. Dense root systems support soil health, water retention and can benefit biodiversity. Photo Credit: ALUS/JP Media
Toronto, ON, July 25, 2024 – ALUS and General Mills are expanding the regenerative agriculture pilot program, Growing Roots, after exceeding several targets set for the initial two-year pilot period.
General Mills has committed to incremental funding to further the goals of Growing Roots through 2026. From 2022–24, ALUS enrolled 115 producers who are managing 234 regenerative agriculture projects across more than 12,000 acres of farmland.
“Growing Roots is a shining example of how ALUS empowers local leaders to build programs that benefit farmers, communities, ecosystems, and businesses,” said Jay Watson, director of regenerative agriculture, General Mills. “Together, we have been able to accelerate regenerative agriculture in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and we’re proud to continue our support of ALUS and their innovative model of shared value creation for all.”
ALUS and General Mills launched Growing Roots in 2022 in response to interest in regenerative agriculture from producers, consumers, corporations, and governments. The effectiveness of regenerative agricultural practices in building soil health and fostering environmental resilience are of substantial interest to the agricultural community.
Through the pilot program, over 60 percent of participants learned or tried a new practice. Participants also noted that Growing Roots created unique opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing among producers. Another 60 percent of participants indicated that they would be interested in expanding their work with ALUS in the future. These are critical factors for generating long-term ecological, social, and economic benefits from ALUS.
“General Mills has been instrumental in supporting ALUS and its communities in forging a path forward to on-field resilience practices,” says Bryan Gilvesy, CEO, ALUS. “The majority of Growing Roots participants have not previously worked with ALUS and noted that they would participate in future regenerative agriculture programming. The success of this program demonstrates that there are opportunities for continued engagement and support.”
Participant survey results outlining individual motivations for applying to the Growing Roots program. Note: In the graph above, SOM stands for soil organic matter.
Of the 115 producers who enrolled in the Growing Roots pilot, 70 percent had not previously worked with their existing local ALUS program to create environmental projects. This points to a substantial segment of the agricultural community that is poised to engage with ALUS, representing a broader market for building community resilience to the climate and biodiversity crises.
The success of the Growing Roots program is driven and facilitated by the ALUS community-delivery model, which centers local decision-making and rural resilience through environmental and social outcomes. Core to the ALUS program are the Partnership Advisory Committee (PAC) comprised of farmers, ranchers, local government, and environment knowledge holders. Growing Roots adds to this successful, farmer-first structure with its Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The TAC is comprised of prairie producers with regenerative agriculture experience, each of whom ensures local leadership and knowledge sharing are foremost in supporting farmers and ranchers creating nature-based solutions with ALUS.
“Farmers look to each other to find guidance and support, and ALUS helps create the community needed for this. Participating in the Growing Roots program as a member of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) allows me to provide that support by sharing the successes and failures my operation has experienced with a larger network of producers,” says Tannis Axten, TAC member and owner-operator of Axten Farms. “General Mills’ support for ALUS and Growing Roots is not only an investment in Canada’s agricultural ecosystems but also in the communities that are responsible for building a better future.”
ALUS and General Mills are eager to see the reach and impact of Growing Roots extend beyond its current investiture with four ALUS communities on the prairies and are seeking partners to collaborate on expanding the program across ALUS’ program space in Alberta, Ontario and beyond. Visit ALUS.ca to learn more.
About ALUS
ALUS envisions a future where all farmers and ranchers produce ecosystem services from nature-based solutions alongside food and fibre to help solve the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Through its turn-key farmer-led, community-delivered program, ALUS supports more than 360 community leaders across 39 ALUS communities in helping over 1,700 farmers and ranchers build and actively manage 52,000+ acres of nature-based projects. These projects, like wetlands, grasslands and tree and shrub plantings, help capture carbon, keep lakes, rivers and streams clean, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and better prepare communities for extreme weather events like flood and drought.
ALUS also helps businesses, governments and organizations invest in new acres of nature created on agricultural land to generate positive environmental, economic and social outcomes in the communities where they operate—one acre at a time.
About General Mills
General Mills makes food the world loves. The company is guided by its Accelerate strategy to boldly build its brands, relentlessly innovate, unleash its scale and stand for good. Its portfolio of beloved brands includes household names like Cheerios, Nature Valley, Blue Buffalo, Häagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Totino’s, Annie’s, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. General Mills generated fiscal 2024 net sales of U.S. $20 billion. In addition, the company’s share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1 billion. For more information, visit www.generalmills.com.
