General Mills Launches Global Innovation Challenge
General Mills announces the launch of a global innovation challenge to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) through nitrogen fertilizer optimization technologies for sustainable agriculture. The company seeks commercially available, proven, ready-to-use technologies that minimize the loss of nitrogen to the environment, increase agricultural production and nitrogen use efficiency in the field, and enhance sustainable agriculture.
The innovation challenge is targeted on technologies that improve efficiency of nitrogen use while enhancing productivity, thereby limiting nitrogen loss to the environment through release of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas, and/or nitrogen run-off in water systems. General Mills seeks best practices in nitrogen fertilization technologies to minimize the loss of nitrogen from the field while increasing yield.
“Accelerating adoption of innovative on-farm nitrogen management tools will improve farmer economics, environmental outcomes, and farm communities,” says Jerry Lynch, General Mills vice president and chief sustainability officer. “This is an extension of the commitment we made in April with Walmart. It will reduce GHG emissions and nitrogen runoff and aligns well with our commitment to sustainably source our 10 priority ingredients by 2020.”
General Mills is partnering with Walmart to commit $100,000 to provide assistance to farmers for the purchase of these new technologies which will contribute to the six million ton GHG commitment made earlier this year. Although the fund will not cover the entire cost of the technology, the aim is to help offset farmers’ improvement investments.
“By collaborating with some of the best companies and technologies in the world, we believe we can find the breakthrough innovation that will help farmers reduce environmental impacts while improving farm profitability,” says Mike Helser, leader of the General Mills Worldwide Innovation Network program. “Our connected innovation approach has enabled product development and enhancements in the past and we are excited to expand our program.”
Proposals are due by September 1, 2014 and winners will be announced on October 1, 2014. The winners of the challenge will be invited present their technologies at the mid-winter Field to Market workshop held in Idaho Falls in early 2015. Entries are now being accepted at gwin.com/sustainability.
The innovation challenge is targeted on technologies that improve efficiency of nitrogen use while enhancing productivity, thereby limiting nitrogen loss to the environment through release of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas, and/or nitrogen run-off in water systems. General Mills seeks best practices in nitrogen fertilization technologies to minimize the loss of nitrogen from the field while increasing yield.
“Accelerating adoption of innovative on-farm nitrogen management tools will improve farmer economics, environmental outcomes, and farm communities,” says Jerry Lynch, General Mills vice president and chief sustainability officer. “This is an extension of the commitment we made in April with Walmart. It will reduce GHG emissions and nitrogen runoff and aligns well with our commitment to sustainably source our 10 priority ingredients by 2020.”
General Mills is partnering with Walmart to commit $100,000 to provide assistance to farmers for the purchase of these new technologies which will contribute to the six million ton GHG commitment made earlier this year. Although the fund will not cover the entire cost of the technology, the aim is to help offset farmers’ improvement investments.
“By collaborating with some of the best companies and technologies in the world, we believe we can find the breakthrough innovation that will help farmers reduce environmental impacts while improving farm profitability,” says Mike Helser, leader of the General Mills Worldwide Innovation Network program. “Our connected innovation approach has enabled product development and enhancements in the past and we are excited to expand our program.”
Proposals are due by September 1, 2014 and winners will be announced on October 1, 2014. The winners of the challenge will be invited present their technologies at the mid-winter Field to Market workshop held in Idaho Falls in early 2015. Entries are now being accepted at gwin.com/sustainability.