No Deforestation Statement

Protecting forests has been a long-standing priority. General Mills was among the first non-confectionary companies to join the World Cocoa Foundation’s Cocoa & Forests Initiative (WCF CFI) in 2017 and was a founding member of the Consumer Goods Forum Forest Positive Coalition of Action (CGF FPCoA) in 2020.

Now, in alignment with Forest, Land, & Agriculture (FLAG) Guidance from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), General Mills commits to no deforestation across its primary deforestation-linked commodities* —palm, cocoa, & fiber (pulp & paper) packaging—with a target date of December 31, 2025.¹ This Statement applies to all volumes directly purchased by General Mills in these “priority commodities.”

The cut-off dates applicable to this commitment, which are the dates after which deforestation became non-compliant in our supply chains, are:

• Palm: December 31, 2015
• Cocoa: December 31, 2020
• Fiber: December 31, 2020

The practical mechanisms for implementing this commitment are outlined below.

Palm

In 2010, General Mills made a commitment to source 100% of our palm oil from responsible and sustainable sources. This goal was achieved in 2015 through the purchase of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified volumes and we have maintained that performance year on year. As part of our effort to advance progress and aligned with sector best practice, General Mills uses the No Deforestation, No Peat, and No Exploitation Implementation Reporting Framework (NDPE-IRF)—a reporting tool designed to help companies understand and track progress in delivering palm sustainability targets, including deforestation-free supply chains.

To further advance and measure progress towards No Deforestation in our palm supply chains by 2025, aligned with sector best practice, we will:

• Adhere to a cut-off date of December 31, 2015, in alignment with the CGF FPCoA methodology
• Use the NDPE-IRF tool to report on our progress
• Continue to uphold the supplier expectations outlined in General Mills’ Palm Oil Policy, including:
  1. No development of High Conservation Value (HCV) areas and/or High Carbon Stock (HCS) forests
  2. No development on peat lands regardless of depth, and use of best management practices for existing plantations on peat
  3. No burning for new planting or replanting preparation
• Track progress to our target using the CGF FPCoA methodology
• Engage strategically with all direct palm suppliers to ensure implementation of this commitment through:
  1. Traceability to palm production
  2. Confirmation of no deforestation at origin since the cut-off date
  3. Continuous monitoring for deforestation
  4. Action if deforestation is identified
  5. Reporting progress to General Mills annually via the NDPE-IRF tool

Cocoa

For many years we have collaborated with NGOs and suppliers’ programs at origin to invest in sustainable sourcing programs with a focus on protecting and restoring natural resources, strengthening smallholder farmer livelihoods, empowering women, preventing and remediating child labor, and advancing sustainable production practices.

To further advance and measure progress towards No Deforestation in our cocoa supply chains by 2025, aligned with sector best practice, we will:

• Adhere to a cut-off date of December 31, 2020, in alignment with EUDR
• Track progress to our target using the generic Deforestation and Conversion Free (DCF) methodology from Proforest, as aligned on by the CGF FPCoA
• Engage strategically with all direct cocoa and chocolate suppliers to ensure implementation of this commitment through:
  1. Traceability to cocoa production
  2. Confirmation of no deforestation at origin since the cut-off date
  3. Continuous monitoring for deforestation
  4. Action if deforestation is identified
  5. Reporting to General Mills on progress annually

Fiber (Pulp & Paper) Packaging

The majority of the carton and corrugated fiber packaging we source is recycled material, which is considered deforestation-free according to the CGF FPCoA methodology; the virgin fiber we source is primarily Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified or equivalent, or sourced from countries-of-origin that are considered by the CGF FPCoA methodology as low risk for deforestation.

To further advance and measure progress towards No Deforestation in our carton and corrugated fiber supply chains by 2025, aligned with sector best practice, we will:

• Adhere to a cut-off date of December 31, 2020, in alignment with the CGF FPCoA methodology and EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)
• Track progress to our target using the CGF FPCoA methodology
• Continue to prioritize recycled material as the preferred source of fiber
• Engage strategically with all direct fiber suppliers for traceability to country-of-origin
• For virgin fiber procured from countries considered “high risk”², source volumes that are FSC or PEFC certified

Advancing impact through collective action

To meet our 2025 target in these priority commodities, we will not only prioritize close engagement with suppliers but also leverage wider actions including partnership via pre-competitive peer coalitions like the CGF FPCoA and WCF CFI. We will also continue to strategically invest in landscape initiatives that can drive systemic impact including with PUR and CARE International (cocoa) and with Earthworm Foundation (palm). We continue to prioritize the importance of respect for human rights—as outlined in General Mills’ Supplier Code of Conduct and Human Rights Policy —for each of these priority commodities in both our direct supplier engagement and our collective action approach.

*General Mills is not a material direct user of beef or soy from high-risk countries-of-origin, but we recognize the importance of broader industry-wide momentum on forest protection in these supply chains through our engagement in the Consumer Goods Forum Forest Positive Coalition of Action, which includes commodity roadmaps for both beef and soy.

1. European volumes have a December 31, 2024 target date in alignment with EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

2. “High risk” countries are identified via CGF FPCoA methodology: Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Gabon, Honduras, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, & Russia