MINNEAPOLIS, MN – General Mills announced earlier this week a commitment to sustainably source 100% of its 10 priority ingredients by 2020. The ingredients represent 50% of General Mills’ total raw material purchases.

The commitment is part of General Mills’ long-term sustainable sourcing strategy and covers a range of raw materials including oats, wheat, corn, dairy, fiber packaging, cocoa, vanilla, palm oil, sugar cane and sugar beets.

“General Mills is committed to creating long-term value for our business, and our society,” said Ken Powell, chief executive officer of General Mills. “Producing enough food to feed an increasingly hungry world will require not only innovation and dedication, but also careful attention to the impact of agriculture on our environment.”

To achieve its green goals, General Mills will pursue a range of sustainable approaches including certification, verification, continuous improvement, and origin-direct investment.

“As a food company, we know that the vitality of our business depends upon access to high-quality ingredients,” said Jerry Lynch, vice president and chief sustainability officer at General Mills. “We also know where we can have the greatest impact from an environmental standpoint. We believe that through sustainable sourcing, we can create the most long-term economic, environmental and social value.”