General Mills Launches $1.1 Million Sustainable Sourcing Program in Peru

September 5, 2013 – As part of the General Mills long term sustainable sourcing program, the company and its Foundation announced today a four-year joint commitment with supplier partner AgroMantaro and global humanitarian organization CARE to provide $1.1 million to help smallholder artichoke farmers in Peru increase yields and improve profitability.

The new program will reach nearly 100 small-scale artichoke farmers in Peru and will:

• Provide training on crop management and post-harvest practices
• Provide microloans to purchase artichoke shoots and seeds for farmers who lack collateral or a verifiable credit history
• Offer program participants in-depth training on how to form farmer cooperatives
• Provide financial planning education and information on how to formulate business plans

Depending on how much land farmers devote to artichokes, families can increase their income by an average of 36 percent annually. Peru’s central region was previously known for cultivating crops such as potatoes and grains, which have lower income potential.

General Mills and its Foundation are partnering with supplier AgroMantaro and global humanitarian organization CARE on this program. Each organization brings unique strengths:

• General Mills will share its extensive supply chain and agronomic knowledge in addition to providing financial assistance;
• AgroMantaro, relying on years of agribusiness experience along the Peruvian Sierra, will provide technical and agronomy engineering support, and financial assistance for seeds and plant shoots;
• CARE will leverage its expertise in facilitating community governance and local connections, provide key training elements, and work side-by-side with farmers and AgroMantaro to meet the project objectives.

General Mills sources its high-quality artichokes for France’s top-selling brand, Green Giant, or, Le Geant Vert, from farmers in Peru’s Sierra region.

“General Mills celebrates a century-long history of working closely with farmers around the world to promote sustainable agriculture,” said Jerry Lynch, vice president and chief sustainability officer at General Mills. “Today, we continue that tradition with an increased focus on improving the environmental, economic and social impacts of sustainable sourcing. We’re not going to see dramatic change unless we make investments to help farmers grow more and improve their livelihoods. Working closely with great organizations like CARE and AgroMantaro, we can create positive, long-term changes.”