Ahold Delhaize USA and General Mills have announced a new approach to address Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions within their shared value chain.
The two companies will support farmers as they adopt regenerative farming practices through co-investments in priority supply sheds or geographic growing regions where key ingredients are sourced.
'Natural Fit'
“We champion a farmer-centered approach across key regions where the ingredients we source are grown, aiming to produce positive environmental, social and economic outcomes," said Mary Jane Melendez, chief sustainability and global impact officer, General Mills.
"Ahold Delhaize USA is a natural fit for collaboration with shared goals of creating a more healthy and resilient food system.”
Financial Support
The project will utilise expertise from Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), a nonprofit member-based consortium.
Farmers will receive technical and financial support to implement techniques like cover cropping and nutrient management.
A combination of field sampling and modelling will estimate net greenhouse gas emissions.
'Positive Environmental Outcomes'
“This relationship emphasises how strategic collaboration is essential for addressing climate impacts and creating positive environmental outcomes,” added Marc Stolzman, chief sustainability officer, Ahold Delhaize USA.
“Ahold Delhaize USA looks forward to the learnings from this supply shed collaboration and using the findings to drive progress across the supply chain.”
By the end of 2025, ESMC along with local implementing partners aims to advance regenerative agriculture management on over 70,000 acres of farmland in Kansas and Saskatchewan in Canada.
The scale of this effort represents the approximate number of acres General Mills engages to source key ingredients, like wheat and oats, for its products sold at grocery stores operated by Ahold Delhaize USA’s brands such as Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop.
