{"id":24480,"date":"2017-11-15T17:41:26","date_gmt":"2017-11-15T22:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/climate-change-food-security-and-general-mills\/"},"modified":"2017-11-15T17:41:26","modified_gmt":"2017-11-15T22:41:26","slug":"climate-change-food-security-and-general-mills","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/climate-change-food-security-and-general-mills\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate change, food security, and General Mills"},"content":{"rendered":"

AN URGENT NEED<\/strong><\/p>\n

Climate change is arguably the most pressing issue of the 21st<\/sup> century. In particular, climate change will dramatically shift our global food equation. On the supply side, we can expect volatile and harsh weather conditions to threaten access to raw materials and disrupt supply chain deliveries. Today, global agriculture alone \u201cproduces up to 35% of the world\u2019s greenhouse gas emissions (and uses 70% of the water)\u201d [3]\u2014and it’s about to get worse.\u00a0The demand for \u201cagricultural products is estimated to increase by about 50% by 2030 as the global population increases\u201d [1] and an \u201cestimated 1.8B people are expected to join the global consuming class by 2025\u201d [2]. Going forward, it is likely that food manufacturers will face increasing pressures from all sides\u2014governments, regulatory bodies, and consumers\u2014to produce more food in a more sustainable way.<\/p>\n

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CALL TO ACTION<\/strong><\/p>\n

In order to provide reliable, affordable access to high-quality ingredients over the next several decades, the food industry must evolve. Specifically, food manufacturers must transform their supply chains to be both sustainable and<\/em> resilient. General Mills has set an industry-leading example of this.<\/p>\n

General Mills has committed to an ambitious goal of reducing 28% of its total greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 across its entire value chain, \u201cfrom farm to fork to landfill\u201d [4]. The company\u2019s long-term aspiration is to reduce total emissions up to 72% by 2050\u2014in line with global scientific consensus, as mandated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [4]. This aspiration is particularly ambitious because General Mills intends to reduce emissions across the entire supply chain, beyond its own direct operations. <\/em>In fact, \u201cnearly two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions and 99% of water use occur outside General Mills\u2019 operations, primarily in agriculture\u201d [5]\u2014beyond the company\u2019s direct control and line of sight.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

WHAT\u2019S NEXT?<\/strong><\/p>\n

To achieve this, General Mills has committed to sourcing its top ten priority ingredients from sustainable, traceable sources by 2020. \u201cThese ingredients represent 50% of the company\u2019s total raw material purchases and have significant impact on its total environmental footprint\u201d [4]. Additionally, the company has conducted a global water risk assessment of its factories and pledged to \u201cdevelop a global freshwater stewardship program with public commitments, public education and advocacy, and funding for key watersheds\u201d [5].<\/p>\n

Given that the majority of General Mills\u2019 greenhouse gas emissions occurs upstream of its direct operations, the company must partner closely with suppliers and growers to implement sustainable farming and sourcing practices. Such practices include:<\/p>\n