{"id":13683,"date":"2016-11-04T17:52:16","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T21:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/cuckoo-for-climate-change-how-general-mills-is-tackling-the-ongoing-food-crisis\/"},"modified":"2016-11-04T17:52:16","modified_gmt":"2016-11-04T21:52:16","slug":"cuckoo-for-climate-change-how-general-mills-is-tackling-the-ongoing-food-crisis","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/cuckoo-for-climate-change-how-general-mills-is-tackling-the-ongoing-food-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Cuckoo for Climate Change: How General Mills is Tackling the Ongoing Food Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is your favorite breakfast cereal harming our planet? Food manufacturers are affecting the massive climate crisis threatening our world\u2019s food supply. In fact, the food and agriculture sector is directly responsible for ~25% of global emissions [1]. The resulting extreme weather has been leading to crop failures, price gauges and reduced quality goods. Notably, our beloved food giant General Mills has taken a trailblazing stance in setting aggressive goals to reduce its environmental impact and lead the industry towards a sustainable future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Food System Responsible For ~25% of Global GHG Emissions [3]<\/b><\/p>\n

\"tom-food-system\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Stirring controversy in the food industry<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/span>As Chief Sustainability Officer Jerry Lynch stated, it\u2019s no secret that \u201cclimate plays a significant role in the long-term viability of our business\u201d [2]. Adverse weather has created severe droughts and floods, which have decreased General Mill\u2019s raw material yields. In 2014, these conditions caused a ~4% loss in production [2]. Persisting climate issues have impacted commodity prices, and as a result, cereal prices are estimated to soar by at least 20% over the next 15 years [3].<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Controversially, Oxfam publicly criticized General Mills and its competitors for their lack of attention to sustainability, claiming they were \u201caccomplices of climate change.\u201d In response, General Mills focused its efforts on its supply chain and successfully implemented sustainable practices.<\/span><\/p>\n

How General Mills is addressing climate change<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/span>
\n<\/b>Expanding the scope of emissions reduction efforts<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/b>
\n<\/b>Last year, General Mills committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 28% across its value chain over the next 10 years [4]. Unlike competitors, General Mills used a stringent science-based approach, relying on data to determine the reduction needed to sustain our planet\u2019s health. In order to achieve this target, General Mills looked beyond its direct operations and set standards for its upstream partners in agriculture where two-thirds of emissions occur [5]. The company reinforced its moral stance and inspired competitors to follow suit by expanding its emissions goals to include its small and large agricultural partners and <\/span>industry groups [5].<\/span><\/p>\n

Partnering to sustainably source raw materials<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/i><\/b>To ensure raw materials sustainability, General Mills committed to sustainably sourcing 100% of its ten priority ingredients by 2020 [5]. In partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and Rainforest Alliance, General Mills identified the materials it can impact most, considering risk factors from deforestation to water use. These ingredients represented over 50% of its annual raw material purchases [5]. To enforce accountability, General Mills hired auditors to measure its progress. Most recently, General Mills announced it exceeded 2015 targets, reducing its GHG emissions rate by 23% through renewable energy sources [4].<\/span><\/p>\n

General Mills\u2019 Sustainable Sourcing Commitment [6]<\/b>
\n<\/span>\"tom-ingredients\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

What General Mills should do next<\/span><\/strong>
\n
\n<\/b>Set more aggressive emission reductions targets to ignite industry change<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>As one of our largest food producers, General Mills has a moral obligation to be a leader in sustainability. Given that recent efforts have put the company on target to meet its original emissions goals, those need to be revised. General Mills should extend its 2050 emissions reduction target to 50%, the level necessary to combat global warming according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [1]. Further, it should pressure suppliers and commodity producers to increase their targets and publicly report progress. This change is necessary as not only a political statement on the urgency of this issue but also a mitigation against the fact that agricultural emissions will likely increase by 30% by 2050 as food demand rises [1].<\/span><\/p>\n

Invest in regenerative agriculture to support suppliers in developing economies<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/i><\/b>20% of General Mill\u2019s raw materials are procured from developing countries and smallholder farms, which lack access to the capital and technology required to implement impactful sustainability improvements [6]. General Mills should educate those growers in regenerative agriculture techniques, which can be implemented more quickly and promote carbon storage [7]. For example, farmers could manage livestock behavior in ways beneficial to land or infuse perennial crops that prevent soil erosion. These techniques will be easier to implement than those requiring advanced monitoring technology and will allow smallholder farms to boost their climate resiliency.<\/span><\/p>\n

Staying on the shelf<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

General Mills started off on the wrong side of the sustainability equation, but the company addressed criticism through action. Since then, General Mills has made impressive strides in reducing GHG emissions and addressing the effects of climate change on its business and supply chain. Still, the crippling food crisis is looming, and General Mills must leverage its position as an industry leader to continuously promote sustainable practices throughout the food industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a consumer, what would you do to make sure your favorite cereal stays on the shelf?<\/span><\/p>\n

(Word Count: 779)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sources<\/b><\/p>\n

[Header Image] General Mills. 2016. <\/span>Cereals<\/span><\/i>. [ONLINE] Available at:<\/span> https:\/\/www.generalmills.com\/Brands\/Cereals.aspx<\/span><\/a>. [Accessed 4 November 2016].<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>[1] OXFAM. 2014. <\/span>Standing On The Sidelines<\/span><\/i>. [ONLINE] Available at:<\/span> https:\/\/www.oxfam.org\/sites\/www.oxfam.org\/files\/file_attachments\/bp186-standing-sidelines-big10-climate-emissions-200514-summ-en_0.pdf<\/span><\/a>. [Accessed 4 November 2016].<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>[2] Shannon Heine. 2015. <\/span>General Mills Makes New Commitment to Climate Change<\/span><\/i>. [ONLINE] Available at:<\/span> http:\/\/blog.generalmills.com\/2015\/08\/general-mills-makes-new-commitment-on-climate-change\/<\/span><\/a>. [Accessed 4 November 2016].<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>[3] James West. 2014. <\/span>Climate Change Will Make These Breakfast Cereals More Expensive<\/span><\/i>. [ONLINE] Available at:<\/span> http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2014\/05\/20\/climate-change-breakfast-cereals_n_5358353.html<\/span><\/a>. [Accessed 4 November 2016].<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>[4] General Mills. 2015. <\/span>Reducing GHG Emissions<\/span><\/i>. [ONLINE] Available at:<\/span> https:\/\/www.generalmills.com\/en\/Responsibility\/Environment\/environment-approach\/reducing-ghg-emissions<\/span><\/a>. [Accessed 4 November 2016].<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>[5] General Mills. 2014. <\/span>Policy on Climate<\/span><\/i>. [ONLINE] Available at:<\/span> https:\/\/www.generalmills.com\/News\/Issues\/climate-policy<\/span><\/a>. [Accessed 4 November 2016].<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>[6] General Mills. 2016. <\/span>Global Responsibility<\/span><\/i>. [ONLINE] Available at:<\/span> https:\/\/globalresponsibility.generalmills.com\/HTML1\/general_mills-global_responsibility_2016_0039.htm<\/span><\/a>. [Accessed 4 November 2016].<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>[7] Andrew Winston. 2016. <\/span>How General Mills And Kellogg Are Tackling Greenhouse Gas Emissions<\/span><\/i>. [ONLINE] Available at:<\/span> https:\/\/hbr.org\/2016\/06\/how-general-mills-and-kellogg-are-tackling-greenhouse-gas-emissions<\/span><\/a>. [Accessed 4 November 2016].<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How General Mills is addressing climate change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2454,"featured_media":13699,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[28,1218,1926,1329,1365,14],"class_list":["post-13683","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture","category-climate-change","category-food-supply","category-general-mills","category-greenhouse-gas","category-sustainability"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/climate-change-challenge-2016\/","yoast_head":"\nCuckoo for Climate Change: How General Mills is Tackling the Ongoing Food Crisis - Technology and Operations Management<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/cuckoo-for-climate-change-how-general-mills-is-tackling-the-ongoing-food-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cuckoo for Climate Change: How General Mills is Tackling the Ongoing Food Crisis - 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