MINNEAPOLIS — General Mills, Inc. announced it is investing $2.3 million as part of a multi-year partnership with ALUS to support farmers and accelerate regenerative agriculture in Canada. ALUS is a national charitable organization that provides expertise, resources and direct financial support to 35 communities across 6 provinces in Canada.

General Mills said its efforts will be focused on Manitoba and Saskatchewan — two regions in Canada where General Mills sources oats for brands such as Cascadian Farm, Cheerios and Nature Valley. Additionally, the investment is expected to allow ALUS to grow its community-led programming with a focus on soil health through its new Growing Roots pilot program.

“We were drawn to ALUS’ grassroots approach with farmers at the center,” said Mary Jane Melendez, chief sustainability and global impact officer, General Mills. “Now, interested farmers in these communities can gain a greater understanding of regenerative agriculture and how best to apply those principles to their farm’s unique environmental, social and financial context, along with the power of peer knowledge-sharing and community support.”

The partnership with ALUS further supports General Mills’ commitments to advance regenerative agriculture on one million acres by 2030, reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain (scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 30% by 2030, and ultimately achieve net zero emissions by 2050. In June, General Mills unveiled a multi-year roadmap to scale Eco-Harvest, the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium’s market program that rewards farmers for beneficial environmental outcomes from regenerative agriculture.