Milling & Baking News - February 11, 2020 - 10

Business

General Mills, Kansas wheat growers
advancing regenerative agriculture
Fort Payne, Ala.-based Understanding Ag.
Growers will be encouraged to continue
their education via a "soil health academy"
and have access to farmer-focused field
days and a private social media group. The
intent of the latter two elements is an ongoing exchange of ideas and best practices for
aligning farm practices with a regenerative

GENERAL MILLS, KANSAS WHEAT GROWERS

MINNEAPOLIS - General Mills, Inc.
has announced a collaboration with two
dozen central Kansas winter wheat producers for a holistic farming pilot program. The effort, part of a company initiative to advance regenerative ag practices,
is intended to improve water quality in
and around the Cheney Reservoir watershed, which provides water to more than
400,000 residents in Wichita, Kas.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, a pilot partner, said its objective is
to make agriculture the clean water solution
at the 650,000-acre watershed, on which 99%
of the land is used for agriculture.
"The goal of the pilot program is to encourage farming practices that improve
both soil health and water quality in the
Cheney Reservoir region such that agriculture is the solution to a more resilient
and clean water supply for Wichita residents," said Leo Henning, deputy secretary of the Division of Environment at the
Kansas Department of Health and Environment. "We believe regenerative agriculture can improve the quality of this vital water source and if we are successful,
it's win-win-win, for farmers, communities and the environment."
More than 150 participants at two, twoday Soil Health Academy seminars in
November provided the selection pool for
the three-year pilot program. The 24 producers selected for participation will codevelop and initiate regenerative farming
management plans with another partner,

The collaboration will help General Mills in its efforts to advance regenerative agriculture practices on one million acres by 2030.

mindset. Program leaders hope regionspecific learning will accelerate and be
broadly shared among practitioners.
"The project represents an enormous
opportunity to demonstrate the many
on- and off-farm benefits of regenerative
agriculture in wheat production, including increased farm profitability, improved
resiliency and enhanced biodiversity,"
said farmer Gabe Brown, co-founder of
Understanding Ag. "Thanks to this partnership, UA's regenerative-farmer consultants will work to ensure the successful and profitable adoption of critical soil

London-based private equity
firm acquiring Pasticceria Bindi
LONDON - Private equity firm BC Partners has reached an agreement to acquire
Pasticceria Bindi S.p.A., an Italian producer
of frozen bakery products. Financial terms
of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in Milan in 1946, Pasticceria
Bindi creates pastries, cakes, pizza, focaccia, baked snacks and ice cream for food
service customers in more than 40 countries in North America, Europe and Asia.
The company has production sites at its
headquarters in Milan and in Kearny, N.J.
"Pasticceria Bindi is a long-established
leader in the attractive Italian frozen patisserie market with an incredibly valuable
brand, unique in its market, and loyal client base," said Stefano Ferraresi, partner,
BC Partners. "The company has also developed a strong international business, reflecting its high-quality offering and strong
10 / February 11, 2020

Milling & Baking News

health-improving practices on these farms."
Another 18 winter wheat producers will
have an opportunity to take part in studies of reduced- and no-tillage production,
cover cropping and nutrient management
as part of the Soil Health Partnership Associate Program, now in its second year.
General Mills said the regenerative agriculture pilot initiates practices with numerous long-term benefits for producers
and their communities.
"This pilot is an important step in our

distribution network, especially in the U.S."
Pasticceria Bindi reached more than €140
million ($155 million) in revenue in 2019,
with international markets representing
40% of revenues, according to BC Partners.
The private equity firm said it will support the bakery's growth by expanding
product lines, increasing international
sales and seeking out new acquisitions in
Italy and abroad.
"We believe there is growth potential
coming from strengthening the relationship with distributors in Italy and abroad
and from the international development
of the brand," Mr. Ferraresi said. "The
Bindi family has built a business with a
long and successful track record over the
last 80 years, and we look forward to protecting this legacy and investing in the
company's exciting future." MBN

commitment to advance regenerative
practices on one million acres of farmland
by 2030, but more so supports our belief
that these practices can have long-term
positive impact on farmer profitability,
soil health, water quality and biodiversity," said Mary Jane Melendez, chief
sustainability and social impact officer at
General Mills.
A little less than a year ago General
Mills announced plans to partner with organic and conventional farmers, suppliers
and farm advisers in key growing regions
to advance regenerative agriculture practices over the next 10 years. At that time,
General Mills said its first on-farm training and education academies would focus
on North American growers who source
oats for Cheerios, Annie's, Cascadian
Farm, Nature Valley and Blue Buffalo.
General Mills has been driving awareness of regenerative agriculture with
consumers through its brands. In 2018,
the company introduced two limitededition Annie's branded products featuring ingredients grown using regenerative
farming practices. Annie's elbow pasta
and cheddar and bunny-shaped baked
graham snacks were made using organic
ingredients from regenerative farms in
Montana. The farmers, Nate Powell-Palm
and Casey Bailey, were named and pictured on the packaging.
Meanwhile, Cascadian Farm, another
General Mills brand, is working alongside The Land Institute to commercialize organic Kernza. Kernza is a perennial
grain whose roots are able to capture carbon and water, while preventing soil erosion, according to General Mills. MBN
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

Milling & Baking News - February 11, 2020

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