Farmer Engagement Drives Success of Regenerative Agriculture Pilot
25 Julio 2024 - 12:10PM
ALUS and General Mills are expanding the regenerative agriculture
pilot program, Growing Roots, after exceeding several targets set
for the initial two-year pilot period.
General Mills has committed to incremental funding to further
the goals of Growing Roots through 2026. From 2022–24, ALUS
enrolled 115 producers who are managing 234 regenerative
agriculture projects across more than 12,000 acres of farmland.
"Growing Roots is a shining example of how ALUS empowers local
leaders to build programs that benefit farmers, communities,
ecosystems, and businesses," said Jay Watson, director of
regenerative agriculture, General Mills. "Together, we have been
able to accelerate regenerative agriculture in Manitoba and
Saskatchewan, and we're proud to continue our support of ALUS and
their innovative model of shared value creation for all."
ALUS and General Mills launched Growing Roots in 2022 in
response to interest in regenerative agriculture from producers,
consumers, corporations, and governments. The effectiveness of
regenerative agricultural practices in building soil health and
fostering environmental resilience are of substantial interest to
the agricultural community.
Through the pilot program, over 60 percent of participants
learned or tried a new practice. Participants also noted that
Growing Roots created unique opportunities for networking and
knowledge sharing among producers. Another 60 percent of
participants indicated that they would be interested in expanding
their work with ALUS in the future. These are critical factors for
generating long-term ecological, social, and economic benefits from
ALUS.
“General Mills has been instrumental in supporting ALUS and its
communities in forging a path forward to on-field resilience
practices,” says Bryan Gilvesy, CEO, ALUS. “The majority of Growing
Roots participants have not previously worked with ALUS and noted
that they would participate in future regenerative agriculture
programming. The success of this program demonstrates that there
are opportunities for continued engagement and support.”
Of the 115 producers who enrolled in the Growing Roots pilot, 70
percent had not previously worked with their existing local ALUS
program to create environmental projects. This points to a
substantial segment of the agricultural community that is poised to
engage with ALUS, representing a broader market for building
community resilience to the climate and biodiversity crises.
The success of the Growing Roots program is driven and
facilitated by the ALUS community-delivery model, which centers
local decision-making and rural resilience through environmental
and social outcomes. Core to the ALUS program are the Partnership
Advisory Committee (PAC) comprised of farmers, ranchers, local
government, and environment knowledge holders. Growing Roots adds
to this successful, farmer-first structure with its Technical
Advisory Committee (TAC). The TAC is comprised of prairie producers
with regenerative agriculture experience, each of whom ensures
local leadership and knowledge sharing are foremost in supporting
farmers and ranchers creating nature-based solutions with ALUS.
“Farmers look to each other to find guidance and support, and
ALUS helps create the community needed for this. Participating in
the Growing Roots program as a member of the Technical Advisory
Committee (TAC) allows me to provide that support by sharing the
successes and failures my operation has experienced with a larger
network of producers,” says Tennis Axten, TAC member and
owner-operator of Axten Farms. “General Mills’ support for ALUS and
Growing Roots is not only an investment in Canada’s agricultural
ecosystems but also in the communities that are responsible for
building a better future.”
ALUS and General Mills are eager to see the reach and impact of
Growing Roots extend beyond its current investiture with four ALUS
communities on the prairies and are seeking partners to collaborate
on expanding the program across ALUS’ program space in Alberta,
Ontario and beyond. Visit ALUS.ca to learn more.
About ALUS
ALUS is a charitable organization that envisions a future where
all farmers and ranchers produce ecosystem services from
nature-based solutions alongside food and fibre to help solve the
crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Through its
turn-key farmer-led, community-delivered program, ALUS supports
more than 330 community leaders across 39 ALUS communities in
helping nearly 1,800 farmers and ranchers build and actively manage
more than 52,600 acres of nature-based projects. These projects,
like wetlands, grasslands and tree and shrub plantings, help
capture carbon, keep lakes, rivers and streams clean, provide food
and shelter for wildlife, and better prepare communities for
extreme weather events like flood and drought.
ALUS also helps governments, businesses and philanthropic
foundations invest in Nature & Climate Solutions on
agricultural land to generate positive environmental, economic and
social outcomes in the communities where they operate—one acre at a
time.
About General Mills
General Mills makes food the world loves. The company is guided
by its Accelerate strategy to boldly build its brands, relentlessly
innovate, unleash its scale and stand for good. Its portfolio of
beloved brands includes household names like Cheerios, Nature
Valley, Blue Buffalo, Häagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty
Crocker, Yoplait, Totino’s, Annie’s, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more.
General Mills generated fiscal 2024 net sales of U.S. $20 billion.
In addition, the company’s share of non-consolidated joint venture
net sales totaled U.S. $1 billion. For more information, visit
www.generalmills.com.
- Root Structures
- Participant Motivations Graph
Nadine Mercure
ALUS
nmercure@alus.ca