BATTLE CREEK, MICH. — Kellogg’s $2 million, five-year InGrained program is yielding “early positive results,” according to the Battle Creek-based company. Introduced in February 2022, the program was developed in partnership with Lower Mississippi River Basin rice farmers to reward farmers’ efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

In its first year, the program helped farmers implement climate-smart irrigation practices that achieved a reduction of more than 1,600 tonnes of GHG, according to Kellogg.

The InGrained program was piloted in northeast Louisiana in collaboration with GHG measurement firm Regrow, rice producers, Kellogg supplier Kennedy Rice Mill LLC, and agribusiness firm Syngenta.

“Not only are we helping farmers implement new practices on their farms, but farmers are telling us that just as importantly, the quality of their rice was not affected by the adjusted irrigation practices,” said Stacey Shaw, senior sustainability lead at Syngenta.

According to Kellogg, much of the rice sourced from the Louisiana River Basin is used in its Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats.

“Kellogg’s Better Days environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy is committed to supporting 1 million farmers and reducing Scope 3 GHG emissions across our value chain by 15% by the end of 2030,” said Janelle Meyers, chief sustainability officer at Kellogg. “Programs like Kellogg’s InGrained contribute to this ambitious goal, create positive impacts on the planet and support the livelihoods of farmers who grow the rice for some of our most iconic foods.”

Kellogg and its InGrained partners said they are making adjustments as they transition into the second year of the program, while ensuring both financial and technical support continue to help farmers with these new practices. In addition, Kellogg said it is exploring expanding the program to include various regions with different weather patterns and soil types to determine if similar positive impacts are found.