General Mills invests in Canadian Grain Initiative

General Mills is investing $50,000 (44.000 Euros) to support the Canada-based Prairie Organic Grain Initiative (POGI). This is a multi-year program aimed at building resiliency and stability in the organic field crop sector while increasing the quantity and quality of organic field crops in Canada. The investment comes on the heels of the company’s announcement earlier this year to nearly double its natural and organic sales to $1 billion by 2020. (see press release http://www.generalmills.com/en/News/NewsReleases/Library/2015/June/Prairie%20Organic%20Grain%20Initiative/1780d53e-90fa-49f9-94ca-2dcdd29e7833

The organic food market has been growing rapidly, which has made sourcing certified organic ingredients increasingly difficult. The grain initiative’s primary focus is to address the shortage of organic grain growers by initiating several programs that will entice conventional growers to make the transition to organic farming. "Recognizing our expansion in natural and organic will require a more robust pipeline of natural and organic growers, we are focused on doubling the amount of organic farming acreage in North America by 2020," added Robertson Martin.

Since 2000, General Mills has steadily grown its natural and organic business with the acquisitions of brands like Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, LÄRABAR, Food Should Taste Good, Immaculate Baking, Liberté and Mountain High. Today, with the addition of Annie’s in 2014, General Mills is the fourth-largest U.S. natural and organic food producer and among the top five organic ingredient purchasers in the North American packaged foods sector. 

More information: www.organicalberta.org and www.generalmills.com/Responsibility