Annie's Bets the Farm
Fast Company|October - November 2020
To help save the planet, the General Mills subsidiary is leading the industry toward regenerative agriculture.
By Ainsley Harris
Annie's Bets the Farm

Once a pot of water is boiling, it takes less than 10 minutes to turn a box of Annie’s mac and cheese into a bowl of warm, creamy goodness. But that convenience belies a complex ongoing effort on the part of the organic food pioneer’s parent company, General Mills, to enable the product to do vastly more. The 154-year-old consumer packaged goods giant has emerged as a leading champion of regenerative farming practices, which sequester carbon in the soil rather than releasing it into the atmosphere, where it contributes to global warming.

As climate change imperils food systems around the world, disrupting the supply chains that General Mills relies on to make Cheerios cereals, Yoplait yogurts, and more, the company’s executives, looking to mitigate risk, have found themselves taking a closer look at the types of agricultural practices that trailblazing food companies like Annie’s—which the conglomerate acquired in 2014 for $820 million—have long advocated. Last year, General Mills publicly promised to “advance regenerative agricultural practices on 1 million acres of farmland by 2030.” (To put that figure in perspective, in the U.S. today there are just 5 million acres of organic farmland.) Now the company is leveraging its market power to spur change on farms both big and small. “Our business resilience depends on the health and well-being of Mother Nature,” says Mary Jane Melendez, chief sustainability and social impact officer for General Mills. “For us, it’s both a business and planetary imperative that we address [climate change], because we want to be in business for another 150 years.”

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October - November 2020 من Fast Company.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October - November 2020 من Fast Company.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من FAST COMPANY مشاهدة الكل
Where the Clean Energy Jobs Are
Fast Company

Where the Clean Energy Jobs Are

A data-driven guide to the skills you need and the opportunities you'll find

time-read
5 mins  |
Winter 2024 - 2025
CAN WWE PIN THE WORLD?
Fast Company

CAN WWE PIN THE WORLD?

AS IT MAKES ITS $5 BILLION NETFLIX DEBUT AND PREPARES FOR A GLOBAL AUDIENCE, WWE IS STILL WRESTLING WITH THE TOXIC LEGACY OF ITS COMPLICATED FOUNDER.

time-read
10 mins  |
Winter 2024 - 2025
RADICAL VISION
Fast Company

RADICAL VISION

POLICE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE EMBRACING AI-ENHANCED SURVEILLANCE IN THE NAME OF STOPPING CRIME. HERE'S HOW ONE SECURITY FIRM IS LEADING THE EFFORT AND PROFITING OFF OUR FEARS

time-read
10+ mins  |
Winter 2024 - 2025
Brands That Matter
Fast Company

Brands That Matter

Our annual look at standout brands encompasses 130 honorees in nine categories, including the inaugural CMOs of the Year. Here's how 12 of those brands and three top CMOs stake out the intersection of business and culture.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Winter 2024 - 2025
The Future According to Google
Fast Company

The Future According to Google

Google DeepMind, the tech giant's internal AI research lab, isn't just racing to beat OpenAI to market. Under Nobel laureate CEO Demis Hassabis, it's the \"engine room\" of the entire company.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Winter 2024 - 2025
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Fast Company

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

SEPHORA HAS GROWN SO POWERFUL THAT IT CONTROLS WHICH BRANDS LIVE OR DIE IN THE $30 BILLION HIGH-END COSMETICS INDUSTRY. IN THIS BEAUTY CONTEST, SEPHORA ALWAYS WEARS THE CROWN.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Winter 2024 - 2025
CULTURE WARS
Fast Company

CULTURE WARS

Brands on the Run Why Harley-Davidson, Caterpillar, and other masculine\" brands are caving to anti-DEI crusader Robby Starbuck

time-read
6 mins  |
Winter 2024 - 2025
WORK LIFE
Fast Company

WORK LIFE

Law Roach, image architect and educator, answers our career questionnaire.

time-read
2 mins  |
Winter 2024 - 2025
The AI Gadget Debacle
Fast Company

The AI Gadget Debacle

Here's why you shouldn't expect any mind-blowing AI-powered gifts anytime soon.

time-read
6 mins  |
Winter 2024 - 2025
Why the future workplace will feel more like a hotel
Fast Company

Why the future workplace will feel more like a hotel

REVEALS WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO CORPORATE STRATEGY AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

time-read
2 mins  |
Winter 2024 - 2025