Health
Communities
Environment
Corporate Social Responsibility 2011 Table of contents 1 To our stakeholders 19 Promoting healthy, active living 40 Working Mother Hall of Fame 69 Setting a sustainable packaging goal 2 Introduction 21 Weight management 42 Leading programs that 70 Logistics and transportation promote work/life flexibility 22 Coalition of food companies 71 A growing number of 5 HEALTH works to reduce obesity 43 Leading workplace LEED-certified buildings 5 Measuring our progress wellness programs 23 Investing in health and 72 Building on sustainable 5 Health profile advances in 2010 nutrition research 45 Working to improve best practices workplace safety 6 Rolling out nutritious products 23 Updating marketing guidelines 74 Global sustainability efforts 7 Global partnerships to 46 Promoting diversity and inclusion 74 ‘Think Global, Volunteer 24 Communi ties promote health 48 Supplier diversity video Local’ united employees 24 Giving tops $100 million 7 Improving the nutrition profile highlights thriving program 75 Cascadian Farm Earth Day in our international products 25 International giving on the rise 50 Corporate governance message: Live Green Together 8 Trimming the fat 26 P roduct donations 51 Ethics and compliance 76 Nature Valley supports U.S. parks 9 Focus on sodium reduction 26 Helping feed the hungry 52 Responsible sourcing 77 Red-tailed hawks make 9 Trimming sodium in cereals, 27 Charitable corporate contributions headquarters office home 54 Environment canned vegetables and brand philanthropy 78 issues 55 P rogress on sustainability goals 10 Reducing sugar in kid cereals 27 Box Tops grows to new levels 78 Responsible palm oil sourcing 56 Continuous Improvement and 11 No. 1 whole grain source at breakfast 27 Cause campaign brings Holistic Margin Management 78 BPA in can linings pink efforts together 11 CPW boosts whole grain, culture deepens 79 Moving to cage-free eggs in Europe reduces sugar 29 Join My Village 57 Reducing our energy usage 79 Food security and biotechnology 12 Promoting dietary fiber 31 Changing the world one 58 Burning oat hulls for energy laptop at a time 80 App endix 12 Providing essential nutrients 61 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions 32 Employee citizenship 80 Company profile 13 Promoting global food safety 62 Reducing our water usage 33 Expanding efforts in Africa 81 Company awards 14 Assisting with special dietary needs (Partners in Food Solutions) 63 A passion for water conservation 82 Workplace Safety and 15 Affordable, nutritious food 34 Project Peanut Butter: 64 Reducing solid waste generation rate Environmental Protection policy 16 Empowering people with information Nourishing lives and souls 66 Building on a strong 83 Supplier Code of Conduct and tools to make good choices 36 Giving garden volunteers environmental foundation 84 Acknowledgements 17 Expanding our Hispanic ‘dig the dirt’ to help others 66 European plants recognized outreach with Qué Rica Vida 40 Employer of choice for environmental systems To our stakeholders
Welcome to our 2011 Corporate Social Responsibility report. Our mission at General Mills is Nourishing Lives. Inside, you’ll find an update on the progress we’re making to enhance the nourishment we provide … to better the lives of the people we serve … and to protect the planet we share.
We’ve made a lot of progress in One of our best examples is Partners We’ve also established aggressive 2010 and have a lot to be proud of. in Food Solutions, our effort to new sustainability goals for 2015, coordinate the business and technical recognizing that work in this area is We improved the health profile of expertise of company volunteers and never done. Many challenges remain. products comprising nearly 24 percent of other food companies to aid small our U.S. Retail sales in fiscal 2010 – the Our goal is to stand among the most and medium-sized processors in largest one-year gain in our history. socially responsible consumer food four African countries. I hope you’ll companies in the world. Every day we Ken Powell, Chairman, All of our cereals advertised to kids read about it and watch our video. work to earn the trust of consumers, Chief Executive Officer, under 12 are now at 10 grams or less of Finally, I encourage you to learn beginning with the safety of our products. General Mills sugar per serving – and our pledge to more about the many environmental Being a responsible corporate citizen reduce this to single-digit grams is within initiatives that are taking hold is integral to maintaining that trust. striking distance. We’re also making throughout our company. good on our promise to trim the sodium This report – our 41st year of reporting by 20 percent in about 400 of our In December 2010, our new oat burner at back to the community – is designed products by 2015. And we’re not done. our Fridley, Minn., flour mill came online. to open the front door of our It burns some of the discarded oat hulls company so everyone can see how Our goal is to be the health leader in from the milling process to produce about we’re doing as corporate citizens. every food category in which we compete. 90 percent of the steam needed to heat As always, we welcome your We also reached a milestone with our the plant and to produce oat flour used questions and comments – and we philanthropy. For the first time, we in making Cheerios and other products. hope you’ll join us in making General surpassed the $100 million giving mark. Solar panels are going up at several Mills a more sustainable company But perhaps more importantly, our of our facilities. We’re saving water at and the world a better place. Visit our employees volunteer at nearly three our plants and through our work with Corporate Social Responsibility times the average of comparably farmers. And we’ve cut our solid waste website. sized companies. Philanthropy is generation rate by a third since 2005. deeply embedded in our culture.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 1 Introduction
Our mission at General Mills is Nourishing Lives® – making lives healthier, easier and richer. CSR report Every day throughout the world, our 33,000 employees work to carry out this mission. organization
We make lives healthier with foods We make lives richer with foods importance we place in honestly This report is organized into three such as Yoplait yogurt, Progresso soups, to celebrate special moments – and openly communicating with sections to align with our mission:
Green Giant vegetables, ready-to-eat whether it’s a Betty Crocker cake for our many stakeholders. n Health: the nourishment whole grain cereals like Cheerios, and a child’s birthday, a Nature Valley we provide, outlines the organic food like Cascadian Farm bar to enjoy while on a hike or the progress we’re making in vegetables and Lärabar energy bars. trimmings for a festive holiday meal. Nourishing Lives through our food products, and how we’re We make lives easier with foods that This marks our 41st year of reporting improving the nutritional profile are simple to prepare – like a Pillsbury back to the community on the progress throughout our portfolio. crescent dinner roll that can be baked in we’ve made over the past year. Our minutes or a Totino’s frozen pizza that decades-long record of reporting n Communities: the people WATCH VIDEO can be popped into the oven and served. to the community underscores the we serve, outlines the many See an overview of General Mills’ ways we engage our stakeholders Corporate Social Responsibility efforts. – whether through the General Mills Foundation, volunteering in our communities, or through cause-marketing programs such as Box Tops for Education. General Mills around the world We also include our employees among our stakeholders and Our Company strive to be an employer of choice. (fiscal 2010) n Environment: the planet we Net sales $16 billion* share, outlines the progress Net earnings $1.5 billion we’re making toward becoming
Community a more sustainable company. contributions $100 million Our overall progress in each of these Employees worldwide 33,000 areas is reported for fiscal year
Operates in 2010. We also include information more than 100 countries about some of our other activities in these areas for the entire Markets more than 100 consumer brands 2010 calendar year (to illustrate progress on new initiatives). *Includes $1.2 billion proportionate Regions with General Mills presence share of joint venture net sales
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 2 Engaging stakeholders We solicit input from groups like Ceres– a organizations) and the United Nations initiative. The CDP compiles data (ADA) to fund nutrition research and coalition of investors, environmental dedicated to improving human rights, from 2,500 organizations in some help promote nutrition education. organizations and other public interest labor, the environment and business 60 countries around the world. And we work with a variety of groups that work with companies practices. We are committed to working Concerning nutrition, we work with organizations on food safety – from to advance their environmental and globally on these important issues. several organizations including the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation social performance – to ensure we We have been participants in the the American Gastroenterological forum to the Institute of Medicine and address issues of concern to them. Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) since Association (AGA), the American the National Organic Standards Board. We are also a member of the United its inception in 2000 and regularly Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), Nations Global Compact, a collaboration report our greenhouse gas emissions the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) of businesses, NGOs (nongovernmental and climate change strategies to this and the American Dietetic Association
Standardized reporting At some point in the future, we expect help to enhance our level of rigor and This report is assembled with help from report and provides input before reporting on sustainability issues to discipline on how we measure and teams throughout General Mills. But the final document is published. become standardized in the same improve our environmental performance. the ultimate owners are our leadership Senior oversight is also being provided manner as financial reporting is required team, including Chris Shea, executive We have established a cross- by Shea’s announced successor, to follow a set of formal rules. vice president of External Relations functional team within General Mills Kim Nelson, senior vice president and president of the General Mills This is one reason why we have added to evaluate and recommend possible of External Relations. Nelson will Foundation, and our Board of Directors’ representation from our finance group reporting frameworks – including the assume all of Shea’s duties in August Public Responsibility Committee. The to our sustainability efforts. Another is Global Reporting Initiative – that we 2011, when Shea will retire. committee reviews a draft of the that adding this expertise should further could use in future CSR reports.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 3 Recognition for our efforts
Our efforts to build a sustainable and responsible organization have been recognized by several third-party groups.
For the third time in four years, n The Ethisphere Institute selected us n The Financial Times named us as General Mills was named in the top 10 as one of the “world’s most ethical one of the “United Kingdom’s of Corporate Responsibility magazine’s companies” for the third year in a 50 Best Workplaces.” “100 Best Corporate Citizens.” Our row. The institute is a New York-based n In Canada, the Great Place to Work company was No. 3 in 2010. think tank dedicated to advancement Institute selected us as one of the of best practices in business ethics, The ranking is regarded as the top country’s “top 75 best workplaces.” corporate social responsibility, corporate responsibility ranking based on anti-corruption and sustainability. n And in Australia, we were named publicly available information. The list is as a “recommended employer” by based on data in seven categories that n Working Mother magazine named us a national group that conducts are publicly available, including human to its top 10 list of best companies – a comprehensive survey of rights, climate change, environment, and to its “100 Best Companies Hall companies and organizations. philanthropy, employee relations, of Fame.” We have been selected to finance and corporate governance. its “100 best” for 15 straight years A complete list of our awards can and its top 10 list several times. be found on our awards page on General Mills also made several other GeneralMills.com. Our 2010 awards prestigious top rankings in 2010. While our reputation as a great place can be found on page 81 of this report. to work is well-known within the n Fortune magazine named us to its list U.S., our reputation as an employer of the top 50 of the “World’s Most of choice is growing internationally. Admired Companies” and to its list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.”
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 4 Health: The nourishment we provide Health Communities
Environment
Our goal is to provide nutritious foods that — Health profile advances in 2010 when combined with exercise and activity — can help people live longer, healthier lives. We’ve made We improved the health profile of products comprising progress, and we’re by no means finished. We’re nearly 24 percent of our U.S. Retail sales in fiscal continuing to push the envelope on improving 2010 – the largest one-year gain in our history. the nutrition profile of our many products. Among our improvements were a:
16 percent sodium reduction in original Bisquick.
10 percent or greater sodium reduction in original Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, MultiGrain Cheerios, Honey Kix, Measuring our progress Wheat Chex and several other cereals. Our health profile improvements are tracked and quantified using our “Health 100 percent decrease in total fat in Green Giant Boil in a Bag teriyaki vegetables Metric” – a corporate initiative overseen by our Health and Wellness Council (as well as an 18 percent cut in sodium and a 42 percent reduction in calories). and our Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition (BIHN) – as a way to encourage and measure the company’s progress on nutrition and health improvements. In addition, all of our flavors of Betty Crocker SuperMoist cake mixes now have 0 grams of trans fat – just one slice of our ongoing, multi- Since 2005, when General Mills first implemented its Health Metric, year effort to remove trans fat from all of our products. the nutrition profile of more than 500 different General Mills products in the U.S. have been improved in one or more of the following ways: n Increasing beneficial nutrients, n Formulating new products including vitamins, minerals and to meet specific internal Raising the health bar fiber, by 10 percent or more. requirements including limited calories, and meeting “healthy” n Reducing calories, fat, saturated criteria per labeled serving In fiscal 2010, 60 percent of our U.S. Retail fat, trans fat, sugar or sodium sales volume was comprised of products that as defined by the FDA. by 10 percent or more. had been nutritionally improved since 2005. n Formulating products to Percent Nutritional 60% Improvement 45% include at least a half serving 40% of whole grain, fruit, vegetables 33% 21% or low or nonfat dairy. 16%
FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 5 Health
Communities Rolling out nutritious products Environment Every year we introduce many new nutritious products in the hopes people will embrace them. Among the products we introduced in fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2011:
n A new line of Green Giant Valley n Total Plus Omega-3 Honey n Yoplait Greek yogurt with twice n Fruitful O’s organic cereal Fresh Steamers that includes an Almond Flax cereal, which offers the protein of regular yogurt. from Cascadian Farm delivers the herb-infused extra virgin olive oil 100 percent of the Daily Value taste kids want and the nutrition sauce to serve with a premium of 12 vitamins and minerals, plus moms expect. Each serving has blend of colorful vegetables. the benefit of omega-3 ALA. 8 grams of whole grain, 3 grams of fiber, and only 9 grams of sugar.
n Fiber One 90-calorie bars, which have n Four flavors of Yoplait Smoothie, each n Two flavors of Fiber One muffin n Three flavors of Progresso Light soups, 20 percent of the Daily Value of fiber. containing a full serving of fruit. mix, Banana Nut and Blueberry. with at least 33 percent less calories Each muffin has 20 percent than regular ready-to-serve soup. of the Daily Value of fiber.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 6 Health
Communities Global partnerships to promote health Environment In accordance with our public commitment in 2008 to support the Canada: Understanding nutrition labels World Health Organisation’s global strategy on diet, physical activity and General Mills Canada participated panel of five health, many of our international brands in a collaboration between Health Cheerios boxes are working with governments and Canada and Food & Consumer (4.7 million industry groups to develop plans to Products of Canada (FCPC) to packages) improve the health profile of food. launch a multifaceted educational through the end campaign to help Canadians of December In Canada, General Mills has been better understand nutrition 2010. Over involved with a multi-stakeholder and saturated fat in our products. We’re information on food products. time, as packages are updated, working group to develop a sodium also working to align our advertising the “% Daily Value” icon and Specifically, the initiative is focusing reduction strategy that will require all to promote the government’s goal of messages will be added to all on the Nutrition Facts panel found foods, on average, to have 30 percent encouraging people to eat at least five of our products in Canada. on the side of packaging as well as less sodium. Over six years, this would servings of fruit and vegetables per day. helping explain what is meant by “% The information is also being enable 95 percent of Canadians to Several General Mills employees Daily Value” for individual nutrients. displayed in stores and shared reduce their sodium consumption are also active in numerous trade nationwide through the media – from the current average of 3,400 mg The educational information groups within the food industry. in print, on television and online. to consume 2,300 mg per day. The was displayed on the full back In October 2010, for example, plan will be finalized in early 2011. Jim Moseley, managing director Within Europe, we’re working with of General Mills in the UK, Ireland Among many other duties, Moseley will to improve the health of our products, regulators such as the UK Food Standards and Nordic markets, was elected work together with the UK food and drink as well as minimizing the environmental Agency (now incorporated into the UK as president of the Food and Drink manufacturing industry, stakeholders impact of the food supply chain. Department of Health) to reduce sodium Federation (FDF), effective Jan. 1, 2011. and government to achieve mutual goals
Improving the nutrition profile in our international products
Throughout our international n In China, we’ve reduced the sodium cut the sodium in our Old El Paso portfolio, we’ve been working to in five of our Wanchai Ferry dumpling tortillas by up to 38 percent. reformulate our products. products and three of our wonton n In Canada, our Old El Paso Smart lines. The sodium reductions are n In Argentina, all of our La Salteña Fiesta dinner kits have 35 percent less between 5 and 8 percent per serving. branded products (tapas, empanadas sodium than our hard and soft taco and fresh pasta) now have n In Europe, we’ve reduced the kits, plus they are a high source of 0 grams of trans fat per serving. sodium in our Old El Paso Mexican fiber and made with whole grains. Meal kits by 23 percent. And we’ve
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 7 Health
Communities
Environment Trimming the fat We trimmed the total fat in our saturated fat reduction 2012 targets significant differences between the old Jus-Rol puff pastry, the leading chilled for pastry. The fat reduction also and new puff pastries. The new product Another product where and frozen pastry in the United Kingdom, follows General Mills’ commitment and packaging launched in January 2010. we have provided by 13 percent – while at the same time in 2008 to support the World Health maintaining the popular brand’s taste Organisation’s global strategy on consumers with a and texture. In the process, we also diet, physical activity and health. reduced-calorie choice trimmed the calories by 10 percent. is our Häagen-Dazs The research and development team The improvement made General Mills used a different blend of fat ingredients Ice Cream Smoothie. the first food company to meet the to achieve the reduction, and taste Compared with vanilla ice UK’s Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) tests showed people didn’t notice any cream, the Smoothie has:
� 30 percent fewer calories � 55 percent less fat � 55 percent less saturated fat � 50 percent less sodium Developing new, trans fat alternatives We’re also working to remove The trans fat alternative developed world’s rainforests led us to announce trans fat from our products. by General Mills, which is currently in September 2010 our commitment scheduled to be phased in beginning to “strive to source 100 percent of Internally, a group of researchers earned in fiscal year 2012, provides a our palm oil from responsible and our “Invention of the Year Award” for number of important benefits. sustainable sources by 2015.” developing a healthier, cost-saving new formula for making biscuits and other One is that it’s made from U.S. A second benefit is that our new baked goods. The team developed a soybean oil rather than palm oil – trans fat alternative could reduce reformulated type of shortening with a more expensive option derived the level of fat (saturated fat and the potential to reduce both the trans from palm trees mostly from Asia. trans fat) by 40 percent. fat and the saturated fat in biscuits Concern about the role of palm oil and other specialty baked goods. production in the deforestation of the
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 8 Health
Communities Focus on sodium reduction Environment We’re also continuing on our quest to reduce sodium levels in our products.
In April of 2010, we announced n Mexican dinners n 10 percent or more in several of our that we would trim the sodium by Big G and Cascadian Farm cereals. n Refrigerated dough products 20 percent, on average, in more n 30 percent or more in n Savory snacks than 400 of our products by 2015. Chex Mix Trail Mix. That represents about 40 percent of n Side dishes our U.S. Retail portfolio. Among the Sometimes we call out these n Soups targeted product categories are: reductions to consumers. Other n Variety of baking mixes times, we do so “silently” to not draw n Canned vegetables attention to the change, knowing that We’ve made considerable n Cereals consumers are usually more willing progress over the past year. We to accept less sodium if reductions n Dry dinners have reduced the sodium by: are made gradually over time. n Frozen pizza n 10 percent or more in 50 flavors of Progresso soups.
Trimming sodium in cereals, canned vegetables Over the past year, we’ve cut the sodium And we’re trimming the sodium in in 10 of our cereals advertised to children our Green Giant brands across seven by 14 percent, on average, in the U.S. vegetables and 45 canned products. We’re doing so in small steps in order to This includes a 16 percent reduction in meet consumer expectations, and we are both original Cheerios and Honey Nut on schedule to meet our goal to reduce Cheerios. Further sodium reductions sodium in more than 400 of our U.S. are planned over the next three years. Retail products by 20 percent by 2015.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 9 Health
Communities Reducing sugar in kid cereals Environment We listen to our consumers and have been working for more than three years on lowering sugar levels in our cereals advertised to children under age 12† in the U.S.
� Since 2007, we’ve lowered single-digit grams of reduced the sugar in many we compete – and we’re sugar levels in our kid sugar per serving. And of our other cereals as well. committed to continuing to cereals by more than 14 lead the cereal category. we’ve made progress. Our research teams have percent, on average. � As of December 2010, all been aggressively working In Canada, all of our cereals � In 2009, we strengthened of our kid cereals are at to trim sugar in our cereals advertised to children are our commitment by 10 grams of sugar or less while maintaining great taste. also at 10 grams of sugar pledging to reduce all of per serving. In one case – or less per serving – with General Mills strives to be our cereals advertised Frosted Cheerios – we’ve the goal of reducing them the health leader in every to children under 12 to cut it to 9 grams. And we’ve to single-digit grams. See Benefits of Cereal report. food category in which
Progress on reducing sugar
15g 14g 14g 13g 13g KEY 12g 12g 12g 12g 12g 12g 12g 12g 11g 11g 11g 11g 11g 11g 11g 2007 Sugar level 10g 10g 10g 10g 10g 10g 10g 10g 10g 10g 9g 2007 Reformulation
2008 Sugar level
2009 Sugar level
2010 Sugar level 07 07 10 07 08 09 10 07 09 10 07 09 10 09 10 07 08 10 07 08 10 07 08 09 10 07 10 07 07 08 10
† † † † † † †
Cereals at single-digit sugar levels
9g 9g 9g 9g 9g 9g 7g 6g 6g 5g 4g 3g 3g 2g 1g 0g
† †
Additional cereals at single-digit grams: Wheat Chex (5g), Fiber One Honey Clusters (6g), Dora the Explorer (6g), Chocolate Chex (8g), † Cereals advertised to children: Chocolate Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cocoa Puffs Combos, Cinnamon Chex (8g), Cinnamon Crunch Total (9g), Yogurt Burst Cheerios – Strawberry (9g). Cookie Crisp, Cookie Crisp Sprinkles, Frosted Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Reese’s Puffs, Trix.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 10 Health
Communities No. 1 whole grain source at breakfast Environment We converted our entire line of Big G food from any other food company. cereals to whole grain in 2005 – the That’s important because 95 percent Big G cereals All of our Big G single biggest health-driven product of Americans don’t eat enough whole cereals contain at improvement in our history. grains. We’re also encouraging people deliver about least 8 grams of whole to eat more whole grain through our Today, our Big G cereals deliver about 37.5 million whole grain per serving – Whole Grain Nation website. 37.5 million whole grain servings grain servings per and many deliver per day – a 46 percent increase in One recent study found people who ate day — a 46 percent 16 grams or more whole grain servings over 2005. several servings of whole grain each increase in whole (at least 48 grams are day, instead of refined grains, had less Big G cereals are the No. 1 source of recommended daily). “belly fat” – the type of fat linked to grain servings whole grain at breakfast and provide higher risk for certain chronic diseases. over 2005. America with more whole grain at breakfast than any other breakfast
CPW boosts whole grain, reduces sugar Our Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) All of its global brands – Fitness, joint venture – the second largest Cheerios, Chocapic and Nesquik cereal provider in the world – is also – now have at least 8 grams of making significant improvements in whole grain per serving. the health profile of its many cereals. In 2009, CPW pledged to reduce the Since 2003, it has increased global sugar by an additional 20 percent in its consumption of whole grain by more cereals that are advertised to children. than 3 billion servings. In addition, it has reduced sugar by more than 7,182 tons and reduced salt by more than 898 tons.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 11 Health
Communities Promoting dietary fiber Environment
From the first launch of our original n Along with regular exercise and plenty n Fiber may also help with diabetes Fiber One cereal in 1985, we now of water, fiber plays an important management. The American Fiber One offer nearly 40 Fiber One products part in maintaining digestive health. Diabetes Association recommends — everything from cereal, bars and By providing bulk, it helps food fiber as part of a diabetic diet. commercials pancakes to yogurt, bread and muffins. move through the digestive track. With more To encourage more But despite these many options to n Fiber – specifically soluble fiber products to choose people to eat the choose from, just one in 10 people in from oats – may also help lower from, General Mills the U.S. get enough fiber in their diets. fiber they need, blood cholesterol levels, thereby is committed to we’ve been running Getting the recommended levels reducing the risk for heart disease. increasing fiber a series of engaging of fiber may lead to many health Soluble fiber appears to lower consumption – benefits. Research suggests that: cholesterol by interfering with its sometimes using commercials about absorption in the digestive tract. humor to drive how our Fiber One n People who have higher intakes of fiber home the message. tend to have healthier body weights. cereals taste so good that consumers have a hard time believing they contain between Providing essential nutrients 35 and 57 percent For generations, we’ve enhanced Today, fortified cereal provides more of the Daily Value many of our products with essential iron, folic acid, zinc, B-vitamins and of fiber per serving. nutrients to promote health. fiber than any other conventional noncereal breakfast choice. Many In the 1930s, Kix cereal was one of cereals also contain vitamin A, the first General Mills products to be niacin, calcium, phosphorous, “vitalized,” as we called it then, with magnesium and/or potassium. vitamins B and D, calcium, phosphorous and iron. In the 1940s, we began Eating cereal has the added benefit of to Total cereal and Cascadian Farm enriching Gold Medal flour with encouraging milk consumption. About cereal and bars. Omega-3 fatty acids are thiamine, calcium and iron in response half of the milk in African-American and essential nutrients for a healthy body. WATCH COMMERCIAL to studies that showed people were Hispanic kids’ diets is eaten with cereal. The omega-3 in the cereals and bars is suffering from inadequate diets. sourced naturally from ground flax. Our latest efforts have been the addition We’ve been leaders ever since, adding of 10 percent of the Daily Value of the To learn more, see our Benefits B-vitamins and iron to cereals in the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ALA of Cereal website. 1970s, folic acid (important to prevent spina bifida) in the 1980s, more calcium For children aged 4 to 12, cereal is the No. 1 source of many in the 1990s, and vitamin D in the 2000s. key nutrients, including iron, vitamin A, folate and zinc.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 12 Health
Communities Promoting global food safety Environment By working inside our company, and with governments and organizations around the world, we strive to continuously improve food safety.
Externally, General Mills and several government representatives from 21 other global food companies are countries that border the Pacific Ocean, collaborating with the Partnership including Canada, China, South Korea, Training Institute Network to Malaysia and the United States. develop a food safety curriculum In November 2010, the organization held that can be broadly shared. an event in Beijing that focused on topics The group was formed in November such as supplier selection, managing 2008 through the Asia Pacific the supply chain, preventive practices, Economic Cooperation (APEC) risk analysis and export certification. forum, an organization made up of
Leading efforts to promote food safety We play a leading role in supporting specific research-oriented efforts to promote food safety, and to work jointly with the food industry on ways to improve the health profile of our food and the environmental impact of our products.
In October 2010, for example, we The second was a meeting of the Food Throughout 2010 and the year before, hosted two scientific conferences. Industry Microbiology Roundtable. Its we also actively supported the goal was also to promote food safety passage of the comprehensive food The first was a gathering of more across the industry by openly sharing safety bill that was approved by the than 15 leading toxicologists from experiences and insights. Nearly 100 U.S. Congress in December 2010. several global companies who met food industry microbiologists gathered for the first Toxicology Roundtable to We believe the new law will to discuss several topics, including new share best practices for ensuring food help ensure the integrity of the techniques in risk assessment, the role safety. The group also discussed how U.S. food safety system. of testing in food safety, the impact of to communicate complex topics such epidemiology and the need for improved as risk tolerance to a general audience. methods in process validation. The group has pledged to not use food safety as a competitive advantage Although the two conferences may sound and to elevate the voice of science in similar, toxicology and microbiology issues concerning food and health. are entirely different disciplines and address two main aspects of food safety.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 13 Health
Communities Assisting with special dietary needs Environment For the millions of people who suffer For someone with celiac disease, General Mills now offers more than from celiac disease, the simple pleasures consuming gluten – a protein found 300 gluten-free products. One product of sharing breakfast or a birthday in wheat, barley, malt and some oats line – Betty Crocker Gluten Free Dessert cake with family and friends has been – makes it very difficult for the body Mixes – was honored in May 2010 difficult at best. But General Mills to absorb nutrients from foods. Over with an “Edison Award,” named for continues to add more family-friendly time, this can lead to malnourishment the inventor of the electric light bulb. options to its gluten-free lineup. and possibly other complications. The dessert mixes were held up as a Among the latest is gluten-free Having the opportunity to share meals best-in-class innovation alongside the Bisquick, an offshoot of the classic with family and friends that actually Kindle II digital reader from Amazon, an pancake and baking mix, and Asian taste good is key to the quality of electronic stethoscope from 3M and a Helper, an extension of the 30-plus- life for those who suffer from gluten residential wind turbine from Honeywell. year-old Hamburger Helper line. intolerance. That has been the common
Both are rice-based products instead theme shared through our Consumer of the wheat-based originals. Services hotline from happy customers.
“I wanted to thank you so very much for making my life so much better. I just had Gluten Free Bisquick. My wife made pancakes for me. WOW!! I have never had a gluten free food that tasted like real food. Now I can have something I always wanted and it will not taste like cardboard like all other gluten free products I have tried before.” — Ray Long, Columbia, S.C.
Expanded resources on LiveGlutenFreely.com Our LiveGlutenFreely.com website (and e-newsletter) now has more resources for people who need to avoid gluten in their diets.
A variety of bloggers share their gluten-free recipes, including tips perspectives on how to live a gluten- on how to update traditional holiday free life. And we continue to add more dishes so they are gluten free.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 14 Health
Communities Affordable, nutritious food Environment
One of the most important contributions n Progresso vegetable soup: $1.09. recipes and menus designed for we make toward healthy diets is families who were scraping to get by. n Nature Valley granola bar: 53 cents. Partnering with providing affordable foods. More recently, the company has created Since “The Betty Crocker Cooking the USDA In November 2010, a serving of the a “Better at Home” website that provides School of the Air” was launched via following items cost about (US$): recipes and other information for how to We were the first company radio in 1924, Betty Crocker has been prepare home-cooked meals that are less to partner with the USDA n Cheerios: 25 cents. sharing cooking tips and information expensive than eating out. The initiative when the food pyramid on how to prepare meals on a budget. n Green Giant Valley Fresh also includes coupons for savings on concept was introduced in Steamers: 47 cents. During the Great Depression in many General Mills products – as well 1992, and the first to add the 1930s, for example, when the as encouraging families to enjoy the MyPyramid information to n Wholesome Hamburger income of U.S. families dropped by benefits of eating dinner together. cereal packaging in 2005. Helper: 36 cents. 40 percent, Betty Crocker dedicated Increasingly, this n Yoplait Light: 66 cents. two of her weekly broadcasts on information is being provided in both English and Spanish through Our products offer good value | Merchandised base price/serving (US$)* several outreach efforts – including Hispanic health and nutrition educators known as “promotoras,” Family Fitness Nights through our Box Tops for Education program, and our Eat Better Early website.
25 cents 47 cents 36 cents
66 cents $1.09 53 cents
*Costs are approximate.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 15 Health
Communities Empowering people with information and tools to make good choices Environment For generations, Betty Crocker and In fact, in the first two weeks of Pillsbury have been empowering the iPad launch, the Betty Crocker Since 1924, Betty people with information and tools application was among Apple’s Crocker has pioneered to prepare wholesome meals. top 25 free downloads. the use of information “The Betty Crocker Cooking School BettyCrocker.com and Pillsbury.com technology to provide of the Air” debuted on the radio in are among the most popular food families with information 1924 and has since evolved into an websites. In 2010 there were nearly online cooking school (featuring 70 million visits to BettyCrocker.com about how to prepare how‑to videos) as well as content on and another 35 million visits nutritious meals. several websites and e‑newsletters. to Pillsbury.com.
Betty Crocker has continued We continue to add new food content are closing in on 1 million using new technology to reach including recipes, tips, videos and Facebook “likes” respectively. more people. Her recipes are now articles, and embracing social media. available on the iPhone and iPad. Both Betty Crocker and Pillsbury
Eat Better Early Our Eat Better Early website was created in 2009 to help moms from all walks of life plan nutritious meals.
But it has been especially helpful to continues to expand, with more than categories than any other food company. parents in the federal WIC (Women, 500 recipes available in 2010. We even created a new cereal, Honey Infant and Children) program, designed Kix, to meet the program’s requirements Each recipe contains at least one for lower-income families. And it and that would also appeal to children. WIC‑eligible food item, provides MyPyramid nutrition information The recipes on Eat Better Early are and is available in both English and created by home economists in the Spanish. The site also helps educate Betty Crocker Kitchens with the help moms about portion sizes, cooking, and of registered dietitians from our Bell maintaining healthy weights for children. Institute of Health and Nutrition.
General Mills has been a longtime partner with the WIC program and provides more WIC-eligible food
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 16 Health
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Environment Expanding our Hispanic outreach with Qué Rica Vida We continue to extend our outreach to Hispanic audiences. In May 2010, we revamped our Qué Rica Vida website to make it more relevant for Latina women.
The redesigned website is organized around four key lifestyle “tension points” for Latinas – food, health and wellness, parenting, and education – and is refreshed regularly with new content.
Translated, Qué Rica Vida means, “What a Rich and Wonderful Life.” The program is designed to provide tips and guidance on healthy nutrition to the growing Spanish‑speaking population in the United States.
Now in its fifth year, the Qué Rica Vida initiative includes a quarterly magazine, website and grassroots health education seminars. The Qué Rica Vida website is now the No. 1 food and lifestyle website for Latina moms.
In October, we launched our first Spanish language application for the iPad: Qué Rica Vida Recetario, which contains more than 900 Latin-inspired recipes.
See Qué Rica Vida overview. regreso a clases
Saca buenas notas con tus hijos: Apóyalos con su tarea Adiós a la nostalgia ¡Vivan las tradiciones! DATE UN TIEMPO PARA CONSENTIRTE ¡CUPONES Y RECETAS GRATIS!
Una amiga para siempre
Revista QRV N.indd 1 6/25/07 12:49:14 PM
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 17 Health
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Eat Better America gains advocates Environment Our EatBetterAmerica website In advance of the winter holiday was created in 2006 as a resource season, for example, a healthified Orman gives the for people looking for guidance on version of pumpkin pie was featured how to improve their nutrition. that had 53 percent less fat and Total view on 24 percent fewer calories. health and wealth Under the guidance of nutritionists from our Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition Today, more than 1.4 million readers We also empower consum- and chefs from the Betty Crocker subscribe to the e-newsletter ers to make good choices Kitchens, we regularly add “healthified” and 700,000 visit the website, with information on our recipes, which are healthier versions of on average, each month. cereal boxes, including classic recipes submitted by readers. Total cereal. Take the advice of personal finance guru Suze Orman, for example. “A healthier you is a wealthier you,” she says. Enhancing access to nutrition information Orman shared this simple We’re working with other food and the Food Marketing Institute, is The icons will inform consumers about message on our Total companies and retailers in the U.S. tentatively scheduled to launch in 2011. how the key nutrients in each product cereal boxes as well as in to devise a fact-based nutrition fit into their diets as part of the U.S. several media appearances. Although the details are still being information system on the front of government’s daily dietary advice. worked out, the general approach “You can’t have true health packages that includes important is similar to the current front-of- Our intention is to incorporate the if you’re worried about your information such as calories, saturated pack nutrition information that we new Nutrition Keys icon on products money,” Orman said in one fat, sodium and total sugars. have had on our cereal boxes since as new packages are produced. appearance in April 2010. The “Nutrition Keys” initiative, which 2007. Our research indicates that “And if you have wealth, all is being developed by members of the consumers find this information the money in the world isn’t Grocery Manufacturers Association to be both clear and helpful. going to do you any good if you don’t have your health.”
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 18 Health
Communities Promoting healthy, active living Environment Eating the right foods is just one part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Being active is another, and General Mills has been at the forefront of encouraging active lifestyles for decades. Family Fitness Nights General Mills helps up to 1 million children get active Wheaties and General Mills were With General Mills’ support, tens of To help families improve their among the first to respond when former thousands of PALA (Presidential Active overall fitness and nutrition, in U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower Lifestyle Award) certificates have 2008 our Box Tops for Education launched his Council on Youth Fitness been awarded to students throughout program and Foundation began in 1956. The “Breakfast of Champions” the country. The One Million PALA piloting Family Fitness Nights in and the Wheaties Sports Federation Challenge has raised the bar to get the U.S., which are 90-minute promoted youth fitness and education even more kids to participate. events that parents and kids can attend together at their K-8 school throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. To help reach that goal, Box Tops for for an evening of fun, education More recently, General Mills has Education volunteer coordinators learn about good nutrition and about and activities. Another key partner been a supporter of the “One across the country are partnering with is the President’s Council on fun, easy ways to be physically fit. Million PALA Challenge,” a new gym teachers to hold Family Fitness Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. To earn a PALA award, kids need initiative to help kids become more Nights at 8,000 schools. At these After school, kids and parents to exercise for an hour a day, five active across the United States. events, students and their families are encouraged to visit several days a week for six weeks. different stations where they can participate in activities ranging from sack races to hula hoops. They also learn about nutrition Kids lead the way via “MyPyramid” for kids – the We’ve also backed public efforts solicited ideas from people of all week, that featured such activities as latest nutrition guide from the to encourage more people to walks of life to help combat obesity. sack races and tug-of-war. Nutritionists U.S. Department of Agriculture. eat smart and be active. also provided information on how to In the 2010-2011 school year, more The Minnesota Idea Open posed choose more nutritious foods for snacks. than 600 schools have signed up We were the lead sponsor, for example, a challenge: How would your to host a Family Fitness Night, and of a Minnesota-based program that community use US$15,000 to help The Minnesota Idea Open is the number is growing quickly. people eat smart and be active? the brainchild of the Minnesota Community Foundation, which has Hundreds of ideas were submitted, been working for more than 50 years and the winner – Christine Tubbs and to help people, organizations and “Kids Lead the Way” – received a communities shape their visions US$500 cash prize and US$15,000 to for creating a healthful future. implement the idea. Kids, with the help of community volunteers, developed a WATCH VIDEO series of summer field days, one day a
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 19 Health
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Environment Champions for Healthy Kids Since 2002, General Mills has Champions for Healthy Kids is a designed to promote fitness, balanced invested more than US$19.5 million partnership between the General eating and a positive self-image in young Girls in the Game in overall youth nutrition and fitness Mills Foundation, the American women. Since 2006, more than 85 programs that have served nearly Dietetic Association Foundation community-based organizations across General Mills supports 5 million children in the U.S. Each year and the President’s Council on Canada have received US$5,000 grants. a variety of other youth in the U.S., we award 50 US$10,000 Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. nutrition and fitness “Champions for Healthy Kids” grants programs – like Girls in the In Canada, US$5,000 grants are awarded to organizations that provide fitness Game, a Chicago-based to 25 recipients each year such as “Go and nutrition education to children. nonprofit organization Girls!,” a Big Brothers Big Sisters program that promotes sports and fitness activities, nutrition and health education, and leadership development for girls. Promoting exercise, nutrition and value Since 2002, the General Mills Foundation Our brands have long been involved Goods Manufacturers Association, there has invested more than in promoting active lifestyles. were 1.2 million participants in 2009 – up US$19.5 million in youth 11 percent from 2008 and 50 percent Babe Ruth, for example, offered some and nutrition programs higher than in 2007. And membership advice on the back of a 1933 Wheaties that have served nearly in USA Triathlon now stands at flip-photo booklet that illustrated Ruth 5 million children in 135,000 – up 35 percent from 2007. hitting a home run. This year, Wheaties the United States. Fuel, an offshoot of the iconic “Breakfast A study showed that a bowl of 100 of Champions” cereal, became the percent whole wheat flake cereal – like © Luci Pemoni/AP Images © Luci Pemoni/AP official cereal of the Ironman. Wheaties – with nonfat milk is effective in boosting post-exercise muscle recovery. The 140.6-mile race, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike The global Ironman qualifying series ride and a marathon-length run includes more than 20 races that Chris McCormack, 2010 Ironman World Champion, will be featured on of 26.2 miles, is considered the culminate with the Ford Ironman Wheaties and Wheaties Fuel boxes. pinnacle of endurance sports. World Championship, held every WATCH VIDEO October in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Triathlon participation has been booming in recent years. According to the Sporting
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 20 Health
Communities Weight management Environment Weight management is about balance — balancing energy intake with energy output. Valley Fresh Steamers a top product for 2009
General Mills offers more than 500 Microwavable, single-serve Just For One! U.S. retail products that have 100 Green Giant vegetables provide portion Getting people to eat enough calories or less per serving. And control and convenience at dinner. While vegetables is always a challenge. more than 800 of our products have Fiber One chewy bars – which have A series of innovations from our 150 calories or less per serving. just 90 calories and 20 percent of the Green Giant brand is helping people Daily Value of fiber – are a good snack. get more vegetable servings every day. From Green Giant vegetables to Yoplait Light yogurt, General Mills offers a One recent innovation was Valley variety of lower-calorie options for Fresh Steamers microwave-in-the- meals or snacks throughout the day. bag vegetables with sauce that have relatively few calories – despite their rich taste. A one-cup serving 45 calories per serving of broccoli with cheese sauce, for example, is only 45 calories. Valley Fresh Steamers with sauce “Love the Valley Fresh ranked No. 4 among the top 10 The Progresso way to lose weight most successful new products Steamers. My kids in the United States in 2009, love eating them. They The Progresso line of lower-calorie an all-expense paid luxury makeover according to industry analysts IRI often take out a bag soups has also been popular with trip to New York City in May 2010. (Information Resources, Inc.). people looking to manage their weight. of broccoli and cheese The contest was so successful that it A second innovation, which Progresso has 40 soups that contain and just pop it in the was renewed for 2011 with a Facebook debuted in January 2011, makes 100 calories or less per serving. it easier to prepare vegetables. component to make it easier for even microwave for a snack. To appeal to women looking to manage more people to participate. As of the The Green Giant cook sensor, available Thanks so much.” on four Green Giant Valley Fresh their weight, Progresso launched the end of 2010, the Souper You Facebook — Pat Gaitan, Debary, Fla. “Souper You” contest in January 2010 site had more than 60,000 likes. Steamers Healthy Colors products, and awarded three grand prize winners gives consumers a clear visual signal that their microwaved vegetables are of Americans aged 19-50 eat the ready to eat. The word DONE appears daily recommended amount of on the packaging when the food inside vegetables, and frustration with has reached its optimal cooking point. preparing them is one reason why. This makes it easier for consumers to prepare vegetables. Only 6 percent
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Environment Coalition of food companies works to reduce obesity General Mills was a founding The foundation promotes ways to help Empowering employees in the member of the Healthy Weight people achieve a healthy weight through workplace: Participating companies Employees Commitment Foundation, a coalition energy balance – calories in and calories will undertake new or enhance existing slim down of more than 125 retailers, food and out. It focuses on three critical areas – the programs to help employees achieve beverage manufacturers, restaurants, marketplace, the workplace and schools. and maintain a healthy weight. sporting goods companies, trade Since changing her diet and Connecting with consumers in the Creating healthy habits in schools: beginning to exercise in the associations, NGOs (non-governmental marketplace: Participating companies The Healthy Schools Partnership summer of 2010, Fae Jones, a organizations) and others. Its goal is are committed to enhancing existing integrates nutrition education and senior quality specialist at to help reduce obesity – especially efforts by changing their products, physical education through a school- General Mills, shed more than childhood obesity – by 2015. packaging and labeling to make it based curriculum to help children 65 of the 32,414 pounds General easier for consumers to manage their develop lifelong healthy habits. Mills employees lost in 2010. calorie intake while preserving or By working out each morning at improving overall nutrition quality. our headquarters fitness center and using the tools on the Alliance for a Healthier Minnesota’s Biggest Loser Summer Challenge website, Jones dropped from 230 A 2009 study showed that regardless of sweetness level, cereal eaters have healthier to 165 pounds. Jones says her body weights than those who don’t eat cereal. And they also had significantly higher goal of losing another 15 pounds intakes of fiber, whole grain, folate, calcium, iron, zinc and several other nutrients. and one dress size is in sight. “My weight loss journey is just that – a journey,” she says. “Unfortunately, you won’t magically wake up skinny I love breakfast one day. Like a journey in your car, you need to determine where you A 10-year study of more than 2,000 girls KeKe Palmer is encouraging teen girls in children. Forty-one percent of the want to go, start at the beginning (about half African-American and half aged 14 to 17 to fuel up each morning milk consumed by 6- to 12-year- and just keep going, despite the Caucasian) found that breakfast cereal as part of the “I <3 BKFST” campaign. olds is consumed with cereal. The obstacles and setbacks that you will eaters tended to have lower waist-to- figure is even higher for African- encounter. That’s what I’m doing.” For every teen who clicked “like” on height ratios, lower total cholesterol American and Hispanic children. Facebook.com/IHEARTBKFST, General Jones was one of thousands of and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol than Mills donated 25 cents. In all, General General Mills employees who those who did not eat breakfast cereal. Mills gave US$10,000 to Grace House, a participated in “Biggest Loser” To promote the health benefits of foster home for girls in Birmingham, Ala. weight-loss challenges in 2010. cereal, General Mills has enlisted Eating cereal also has the added the help of a teen actress and benefit of promoting milk consumption singer to help spread the word.
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Communities Investing in health and nutrition research Environment We continue to invest in nutrition science to better understand the relationship between food and health – through research by our own Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition scientists as well as research conducted by other scientists outside General Mills.
We’re working with several award to help understand the role Health and Nutrition’s website. Some organizations including the American of gut microflora and health. are designed for health professionals Gastroenterological Association (AGA), to share with their patients. And we are a corporate sponsor of the American Academy of Family the ADA, helping to share science- Others – like a collection of recipes In fiscal 2010, there were Physicians (AAFP), the American based information and new research that use WIC-friendly ingredients – 2.1 million downloads Society for Nutrition (ASN) and with ADA members. Our partnership are designed for educators to share the American Dietetic Association of nutrition education helps broaden the reach of ADA’s with parents and their families. (ADA) to fund nutrition research and resources from the healthful-eating messages to consumers, (WIC stands for Women, Infants help promote nutrition education. Bell Institute of Health especially youth through our Champions and Children, a government-run We’re a founding member of for Healthy Kids grant program. program designed to promote good and Nutrition website. AGA’s Digestive Health Partner nutrition in lower-income families.) In fiscal 2010, there were 2.1 million program and have provided a three- downloads of nutrition education year, $225,000 research scholar resources on the Bell Institute of
Updating marketing guidelines One way General Mills acts to maintain the highest standards for responsible marketing practices is through the annual update of its industry-leading child marketing guidelines.
Expanding on the 2009 update The new section covers: General Mills has had marketing that focused on restricting marketing to guidelines in place for more than n Requirements for the use of social children via social media, the 30 years. They are updated annually, media for official marketing efforts. 2010 guidelines feature a new, expanded a process that has resulted in some Social Media Policies and Procedures n Added requirements for blogger or industry-leading practices. section that includes more detailed influencer outreach programs, such Several groups of our employees information – regardless of audience. as the company’s MyBlogSpark and Pssst programs. are required to demonstrate that they understand the guidelines.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 23 Communities: The people we serve Health Communities
Environment Giving tops US$100 million General Mills’ philanthropy reached historic heights in fiscal 2010. The company contributed more than US$100 million – a 10 percent increase over fiscal 2009.
At a time when many organizations are cutting their philanthropic General Mills Fiscal 2010 Giving Summary contributions to communities and causes, General Mills has increased its overall financial support of families and Total giving: US$100 million communities, and expanded its outreach efforts globally. Foundation Grants Our commitment to help build strong communities falls Corporate Contributions/ $22.4 million under four broad categories: Grants from the General Mills Brand Philanthropy Foundation; product donations; charitable corporate contributions $59.4 million and brand philanthropy; and employee citizenship. Product Donations $18.2 million
82% of U.S. employees volunteer
Grants from the Product donations Charitable corporate Employee citizenship General Mills Foundation The US$18.2 million of food the company contributions and Employee citizenship enhances our The US$22.4 million donated in donated in fiscal 2010 is mostly for brand philanthropy financial contributions to the community. fiscal 2010 by the General Mills Feeding America, the largest network This represents the largest share Our employees are engaged in their Foundation is to strengthen families of food banks in the United States. of our giving – US$59.4 million in communities in many ways, including and communities by supporting: Food is also donated – in addition to fiscal 2010. These dollars include the personal philanthropy. The company money – following natural disasters company’s popular and well-known encourages personal philanthropy n Hunger and nutrition wellness such as the Haiti earthquake. We cause-marketing programs such as Box through gift-matching programs and initiatives, including our flagship are a founding member of Feeding Tops for Education (which supports through volunteerism. About 82 percent Champions for Healthy Kids program. America’s support network. K-8 schools in the U.S.), Cheerios of our U.S. employees volunteer. n International giving, up 49 percent Spoonfuls of Stories (which supports from last year, as we expand literacy programs), and many others. our giving around the world.
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Communities International giving on the rise Environment Our long-standing commitment to strengthen communities and families is global in thought and deed. More than US$300,000 was allocated Water cellars – which are underground The water cellars enable farmers in Puerto Rico. In addition to being in fiscal 2010 by the General Mills containers for collecting and storing to plant crops and raise livestock, a source of nutritional food, the Foundation for 23 international rainwater – are critical to survival. In which allows more men to stay with gardens promote community education, social service, and youth many remote villages, the cellar is their families rather than seek jobs integration in low-income areas. nutrition and fitness grants. the only water source for families elsewhere. In a region where face n Preservation and renovation in France. fortunate enough to have one. washing is a luxury, the cellars also Our ongoing Wanchai Ferry Water The Foundation provided US$15,000 help improve health and hygiene. Cellars for Mothers project received Most families don’t, which forces women to the Auteuil Foundation to add one the most support to continue to walk many miles on mountain roads Among the other initiatives our hospitality unit, renovate three units, providing ways for families to to get water that will be reused several Foundation has funded in 2010: and to provide a safe environment collect water in northwest China’s times. In response to the need, the for young girls in transition. n Thailand Adopt a School. drought-parched Shaanxi province. Foundation donated US$39,000 in 2008 A total of US$15,000 was n New Zealand Teaching Gardens. to build 312 water cellars in Shaanxi. provided to the Thailand Charitable A US$5,000 Foundation grant was The results were so encouraging that Foundation to rebuild three awarded to the Manukau City County the Foundation nearly doubled the classrooms and supply a library. in New Zealand for the Manukau donation to US$75,000 to build 560 Parks Teaching Gardens. The n Organic gardens in Puerto Rico. cellars in 2009, and increased the gardens will be used to teach people Organic vegetable gardens took grant in 2010 to US$100,000 to build about animal husbandry and how root in 2010 thanks, in part, to a another 770 cellars. The cellars are to grow their own food at home. US$10,000 Foundation grant to WATCH VIDEO funded through a grant to the China the Fundacion Luis Munoz Marin Women’s Development Foundation.
Helping in times of need General Mills has a long tradition of stepping in to help following natural disasters around the world, including:
n In Haiti, more than US$400,000 n In New Zealand, US$15,000 was September river flooding that was donated to the American Red allocated to the New Zealand damaged bridges and roads. Cross International Response Fund Red Cross following a September n In Pakistan, US$250,000 was and CARE International to support earthquake that damaged an given to CARE for relief efforts earthquake relief efforts, after a estimated 100,000 homes. after August flooding claimed January 2010 earthquake claimed n In southern Minnesota, US$25,000 1,300 lives, injured 1,500 and about 100,000 lives and left several was given to the American displaced many more. hundred thousand more homeless. Red Cross in response to the
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Communities Product donations Environment As a company and through the efforts of our employees who volunteer, we help feed the hungry on many levels. Helping feed the hungry General Mills donated more than “General Mills has been brilliant in $18 million in food products to food banks bringing the issue of hunger and across the U.S. through our partnership nutrition together,” says Vicki Escarra, with Feeding America, the largest president and CEO of Feeding America. hunger relief organization in the U.S. In addition to assisting Feeding America, We’re a founding partner with our employees help the hungry in many Feeding America, and have different ways as highlighted below. WATCH VIDEO worked with the network of food “General Mills has been banks for more than 30 years. brilliant in bringing the issue of hunger and nutrition together.” — Vicki Escarra, president and Campus Kitchens Project CEO of Feeding America General Mills contributed US$300,000 Since 2001, the Campus Kitchens Project Campus Kitchens Project operates on to the Campus Kitchens Project has provided healthy meals to the hungry 20 college and high school campuses. in fiscal 2010, to bring its 10-year by supporting student volunteers who In 2010, the organization served total to more than US$827,000. help feed the needy. With the support its one millionth meal. of General Mills and its partners, the
Canadian team harvests produce More than 7,000 pounds of apples The harvest was a team-building and pears were picked by about 70 exercise for employees during a break Finance and Information Technology (IT) at an offsite conference. Four food employees from General Mills Canada. banks in the Niagara region received fresh fruit to help restock shelves.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 26 Health Charitable corporate contributions Communities and brand philanthropy Environment From education and hunger relief to childhood literacy and breast cancer, General Mills and its brands go the extra mile to help support charitable causes. General Mills honored for Box Tops grows to new levels philanthropy General Mills supports many programs More than 69,000 schools that help young people realize their participated during the 2009- In June 2010, General Mills received full potential. But one of our most 2010 school year, redeeming, on the 2010 President’s Award from the Committee Encouraging important initiatives is Box Tops for average, US$707 for their school. Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) Education, which supports schools While the program began with Box Tops – one of the highest honors in across the U.S. by funding essential coupons on General Mills products the world of corporate giving. items like books, computers, musical exclusively, it has since expanded in 2010 instruments and other supplies. WATCH VIDEO General Mills was honored for to include Land O’Lakes and Welch’s, our work in Africa, which began Since its inception in 1996, Box Tops for joining Avery Dennison, Kimberly- in 2007 with an employee-led Education – America’s premier cause- Clark, Nestlé, Pactiv and SC Johnson. initiative to pack “1 million meals for marketing initiative – has raised more Malawi” and has since expanded than US$340 million for K-8 schools. to include the Partners in Food Solutions technology transfer program and Join My Village, an online fundraising program to Cause campaign brings pink efforts together help girls and women in Malawi. For the fourth straight year, General underserved in their communities. effort has donated to the cause since Mills sponsored a companywide “Pink 2007, General Mills has contributed Combined with the Yoplait Save Together” campaign to help support more than US$33 million to support Lids to Save Lives campaign, Pink those affected by breast cancer. breast cancer research and awareness. Together boosts General Mills to The Pink Together campaign has the No. 1 consumer packaged goods Among our brands participating in donated US$2.25 million in fiscal 2010 supporter of the leading global Pink Together are Nature Valley, WATCH VIDEO to advance breast cancer research, breast cancer organization. Big G, Chex, Progresso, Green Giant education and community outreach frozen, Cascadian Farm, Fiber One and See an overview of General Mills’ Since 1998, when the Save Lids to global philanthropic efforts. programs. In addition, US$150,000 was “Restaurant Favorites” packaged dinners. Save Lives program began, Yoplait has contributed to the Circle of Promise, donated more than US$25 million to a Komen effort focused on African- the breast cancer cause. When you American women, many of whom are add the US$8 million our Pink Together
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Communities Yoplait College Challenge sets record Environment 2011 marked the sixth year of the Since beginning their partnership with Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives College General Mills, ZTA collegiate and Challenge, an annual event where alumnae chapters have earned more college and university chapters of the than $92,000 – by collecting more than Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA) sorority partner 920,000 Yoplait lids – that was then with campus foodservice operations donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. to help raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and education.
Breast cancer philanthropy in China Breast cancer is one of the most common To help those women who can’t afford types of cancer among women in China diagnosis and treatment, the Ruijin- and is a top killer of urban women. But Häagen-Dazs breast cancer Aid Fund many patients can be cured with early was established to help provide medical diagnosis and treatment. However, services and raise public awareness of many do not know they have cancer breast cancer prevention and treatment. until it reaches an advanced state.
Hannibal women ‘go pink’ for a great cause Employee organizations throughout The second annual “Go Pink!” campaign General Mills get involved in charitable in October 2010 included a T-shirt sale, causes, including those at our plant co-sponsorship of a 5K walk or run and in Hannibal, Mo. Our Women in 18-mile bike ride, and the sale of 10-inch Operations Network there – some pink ribbons that could be personalized 40 members strong – helped raise with a name or message, to honor a US$8,600 to support breast cancer survivor or remember a lost loved one. organizations in northeast Missouri.
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Communities Join My Village Environment In 2010, General Mills expanded its Join My Village online giving program that promotes education and economic development for girls and women in Malawi, who grow and prepare most of the food in sub-Saharan Africa.
Every month, people who visit the JoinMyVillage.com website can instantly activate a contribution from WATCH VIDEO General Mills and partnering companies like MERCK by watching a video or Those who visit the Join My Village reading a story about a girl’s future. Facebook page can instantly activate a US$1 contribution In addition, all personal donations from General Mills by clicking made to Join My Village are matched “like” at the top of the page. dollar-for-dollar, up to this year’s maximum gift of US$900,000. More than 95,000 people have become members of the online initiative.
The program, in partnership with the humanitarian organization CARE, funds scholarships for girls, lends money to women to help them start businesses, builds homes for teachers, among many other programs designed to break the cycle of poverty in one of the poorest regions in the world.
In its first year, funds helped: By the end of 2011, Join My Village n For US$100, a woman can be trained n Support 160 scholarships plus hopes to exceed US$1.4 million to in the village’s savings and loan curriculum for 15 schools. support even more work and impact. program, which helps her onto a path of financial empowerment. n Build eight homes for teachers A relatively small amount of money that meet ministry of goes a long way in Malawi: n For US$341, a girl can pay tuition plus room and board for an entire education specifications. n For US$25, a village’s savings and year of secondary school. n Helped more than 1,000 women loan group can buy a lockbox for start their own businesses. their hard-earned contributions.
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Communities ‘Stirring Up Wishes’ for a girl and her dog Environment Happiness, it has been said, is a warm puppy. And you’d get no argument from 10-year-old Catrina, who, thanks to the Betty Crocker Stirring Up Wishes program and the Make-A-Wish Foundation®, got her wish.
Catrina arrived at General Mills on a warm May day empty handed but left, after a scavenger hunt, with a friendly and furry golden retriever puppy. Catrina, who is battling leukemia, is one of the kids whose wishes have been granted since Betty Crocker launched the program, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.
“I hope there are 10 more clues because this is so fun!” she said after the first 10 stops, each of which had its own surprise – a leash, dog toys, shampoo.
When Catrina arrived at the last clue, Baking division employees parted to reveal a pen of nine golden retriever puppies. Catrina dove in and was all giggles as the puppies wiggled and played with her shoelaces and hair. In the end, she chose a lucky pup and named her Princess Bella.
“People were in tears watching Catrina discover the puppies – it was a special moment for everyone,” says Shelly Latimore, then the promotion marketing manager with the Baking division.
Betty Crocker has been a long-time supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and its local chapters. Since 2005, Betty Crocker has donated more than US$1 million to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In Minnesota, Betty Crocker has granted 50 wishes for local “wish kids” and their families, and another 20 wishes for other children across the country.
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Communities Changing the world one laptop at a time Environment It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes technology in the form of a laptop computer to help reach – and help teach – children in remote villages.
A cause-marketing campaign by our Fruit Snacks team led to the donation of more than 2,000 laptops to children in South Africa. The computers will help the children teach themselves, other children and their parents, according to One Laptop Per Child Founder and Chairman Nicholas Negroponte, who spoke at our headquarters office in May 2010.
One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of providing educational opportunities to the world’s poorest children by providing each of them with a self-powered laptop preloaded with special content.
Since it launched in 2005, OLPC has distributed nearly 2 million laptops to children, nearly all of whom don’t attend school and live in communities that do not have electricity (the laptops are powered by solar cells).
“We think of the child as being the agent of change. Children can learn how to read or write on their own the same way they learned how to walk and speak,” said Negroponte, an MIT professor.
OLPC plans to distribute 5 to 10 million laptops around the globe in the next few years and has added partnerships, including the United Nations Relief and Works for Palestine, to expand its work in Africa, the Near East and beyond.
WATCH VIDEO
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Communities Employee citizenship Environment Eighty-two percent of our U.S. employees volunteer – nearly three times the 29 percent average reported in a survey of more than 150 Fortune 500 companies. Volunteerism has long been part of our culture, and our employees continued the tradition in 2010. Volunteering runs deep in our culture Our volunteers can be found most in “Think Global, Volunteer Local,” educated park visitors and community everywhere, but they are most which was held in conjunction with members in China about how they commonly found working on civic the 40th anniversary of Earth Day can reduce their carbon footprint. projects to address hunger, housing, and National Volunteer Week. Throughout the globe, our employees are homelessness and youth programs. The weeklong event packed in dozens involved in their communities working But it doesn’t end there. of projects worldwide as employees to make the world a better place. painted a Habitat for Humanity For example, about 2,000 employees house in Minnesota, cleaned up around the world participated tires from beaches in England, and
Helping nourish lives in India Since 2008, employees of our India operations have logged more than 140 days of volunteering to help 250 families in five rural villages in arid regions around our Nashik plant, about 120 miles northeast of Mumbai.
The General Mills Foundation has The goal is to nourish lives in these deeper wells to bring more land supported the volunteer effort with communities by taking a holistic into production, and supporting US$135,000 in grants to promote: approach to development. the local school by providing basic infrastructure, teaching and coaching. n Better health and nutrition We’re working to improve health and nutrition, for example, by purifying home “Our goal is to make a very real n Development opportunities for women water supplies, developing ways to vent difference in these villagers’ lives by harmful cooking fire smoke outside measuring their development over n Watershed development the home, and encouraging health time – health, nutrition, education and and conservation checkups for women and children. income,” says Ashutosh Phadke, our n Improved education human resources director for the India We’re also promoting the creation of business. “This will take time, but we’re small “kitchen gardens” to increase making steady progress every year.” vegetable consumption, digging
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Communities Expanding efforts in Africa Environment Partners in Food Solutions is a General Mills-driven effort to coordinate the technical and business expertise of company volunteers to meet the needs of small and medium-sized mills and food processors in developing countries.
The goals of Partners in Food Solutions are to improve the ability of those companies to produce high-quality, nutritious and safe food at affordable prices, and to increase demand for the crops of small-holder farmers who supply those businesses.
We are looking to partner with other food companies and nonprofits to expand this effort.
Fourteen projects currently are under way in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. They link the talents of General Mills employees from across our company – research and development, nutrition, engineering, marketing, finance and beyond – with small, growing food processors in those countries.
Over the past two years, more than 300 company researchers and scientists have volunteered more than 20,000 hours to help solve technical issues at several African food processing facilities.
Through our experienced volunteers, Partners in Food Solutions offers expertise in areas such as: n Determining the best nutritional mix based on local ingredients. n Developing locally sourced new products. n Designing facilities and food processing systems. n Creating high-performance packaging. n Improving quality, safety and food processing procedures. n Improving marketing, distribution and other aspects of getting products to end consumers.
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Communities Project Peanut Butter: Nourishing lives and souls Environment On a frigid Saturday morning in January 2010, 36 General Mills scientists, engineers and retired technologists met in Minneapolis to hear about malnourished kids in Malawi.
They were told that Malawi is a tiny Organization and other global food country with 13 million people, most of programs to be an effective treatment. whom are members of farm families Agnes Paiva knows firsthand how the in chronic poverty. Hunger is the paste that she knows as “chiponde” has primary reason 13 percent of the helped her 14-month-old son, Chisomo. children die before they reach age 5. “My son was sick. He was very weak “Whose fault is it that these kids don’t and listless, had diarrhea and was have enough to eat? Malnutrition is vomiting,” she said outside the Makwhira not a bad thing done by bad people. It Village Health Center in Malawi. just is,” Dr. Mark Manary, professor of She had walked about 10 kilometers pediatrics at Washington University (6 miles) that morning to bring Chisomo in St. Louis, Mo., told the group. to the clinic to get him checked and to Manary was at General Mills to meet pick up more chiponde. “I‘m feeding him with employee volunteers who would chiponde five times a day and doing what begin to help him fight the ravages of I’ve been taught. Now, he’s getting big hunger through Project Peanut Butter and fat.” Chisomo’s chart shows that (PPB), a nonprofit organization he he’s gained nearly 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) who are helping his project improve They most often say how lucky they feel founded in Malawi to produce and in the last month and is well enough to efficiency at its plant in Blantyre, to be able to apply their knowledge and distribute a high-nutrient and caloric “graduate” from the treatment program. Malawi. Our employees are helping expertise to such a worthwhile cause. peanut butter paste that’s saving the the plant reduce costs, improve “This is very hopeful,” Dr. Indi Trehan “As a food scientist, I have a job at lives of severely malnourished children food safety and developing an RUTF said over the sound of crying children General Mills that helps me feed and across the country. (It is one of 14 recipe to help treat HIV patients. as he treats Chisomo and about 70 nourish my family,” says Erika Smith, projects undertaken by Partners in Food other kids who came with their mothers “To me, it’s most important that this who leads the PPB team. “Project Solutions, which links the expertise of that morning. Trehan is a clinic fellow help is genuine and real,” Manary said Peanut Butter nourishes my soul.” General Mills employees with small- and in pediatrics at Washington University after meeting with employees. “Just medium-sized food processors in Africa.) working for Project Peanut Butter in because we have the right feelings Between 2004 and 2006, Manary Malawi. “You can’t get sad about the doesn’t mean it helps. I don’t need treated more than 12,000 malnourished kid who shows up and gets better. It’s just good wishes; I need solutions.” kids, and he saw a 90 percent the kid out in the village who should The 40-plus General Mills employees recovery rate. Today, this Ready- be here that you get sad about.” who work on PPB fit their volunteer work to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) Manary shares a similarly positive into their week days or use nights and is recognized by the World Health attitude with General Mills’ volunteers weekends to advance their objectives. WATCH VIDEO
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Communities United Way giving at record US$13.5 million Environment General Mills’ total United Way giving More than half of plants and sales In Avon, Iowa, the team raised in the U.S. and Canada this year offices in the U.S. and Canada reported 62 percent more than last year. reached US$13.5 million, a jump of an increase in employee giving. Cincinnati had a record year, and more than 6 percent from 2009. Murfreesboro, Tenn., once again was In Toronto, 97 percent of employees the No. 1 United Way contributor in In the Twin Cities, total giving participated in the campaign, which its region. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, known reached US$8.5 million, exceeding the included a “Stuff the Bus” event as well for its strong campaigns, raised US$8.1 million goal by nearly 5 percent. as record contributions and creation of more than US$600,000 this year. The results secure the company’s ranking a YouTube video. Meanwhile, the Sales as the top corporate donor in the Twin office in Bentonville, Ark., conducted Cities for the 12th year in a row. a campaign for the first time.
“Whether it’s mentoring children in the Twin Cities or supporting Spoonfuls of Stories women farmers in Since the Spoonfuls of Stories program And for the second year, all five titles are Malawi, General Mills debuted in 2002, Cheerios has donated published in both English and Spanish. and its employees more than US$3.5 million to First Cheerios also made a US$300,000 have demonstrated Book and distributed nearly 50 million donation to First Book, a nonprofit children’s books inside boxes of Cheerios incredible generosity organization that helps get books into cereal. The 2010 in-pack offerings from and commitment to the hands of low-income children. Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing helping others.” are aimed for children aged 3 to 8. — Atul Tandon United Way Worldwide executive vice president
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Communities Giving Garden volunteers ‘dig the dirt’ to help others Environment Dozens of employee volunteers tended a 1,600-square-foot garden at our headquarters office, using their green thumbs to grow food for hungry people in the community.
After ground was tilled in April 2010 on the south lawn for the “Giving Garden,” 53 volunteers planted, cared for and harvested more than 1,300 pounds of organic vegetables.
The food bounty was harvested twice each week and delivered to two nonprofit organizations that prepare, or provide food, for those in need.
Jerry Johnson, a scientist at our Green Giant agricultural research center in Le Sueur, Minn., sprouted 250 plants in southern Minnesota and delivered them, along with seeds, to the garden. He also helped design the layout for the 80-foot by 20- foot garden and showed the group how to maximize the output using organic gardening methods.
Johnson and other knowledgeable agronomists and growers offered advice about weeding, directions about which plants needed extra care, and how and when to pick the produce.
In addition, Johnson made the 100-mile roundtrip trek from Le Sueur throughout the summer to deliver harvested peas and sweet corn from company fields to contribute additional produce to help feed those in need.
“This project is so good for the company and for the community,” says Johnson. “We’re using our skills and expertise – along with our commitment to volunteer – to do even more for our communities.”
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Communities Habitat’s finishing touches come with Jimmy Carter’s help Environment Hammer in hand, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter worked a shift on a Minneapolis home to help finish work on a Habitat for Humanity house.
The work was done in conjunction dedications are really special. The with the kickoff of the 2010 Jimmy stories are all heartwarming.” and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, a In Minneapolis alone, 80-plus General week-long initiative to build, renovate Mills volunteers helped build Habitat and repair 26 Twin Cities homes, for Humanity homes this past summer. primarily in north Minneapolis and east St. Paul, both in Minnesota. “General Mills crews are the best I’ve ever worked with,” says Bill Turner, a The north Minneapolis house is located longtime Habitat volunteer who is 85 in the Hawthorne neighborhood, an area years old. “They come to work, and of the city the General Mills Foundation when they get done with a task, they has supported for more than a decade. look for something else to do.” General Mills volunteer Mike Viland General Mills has built or remodeled has pounded nails, sawed siding 18 homes over the past 20 years. and hung windows since General Mills became a Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity partner in 1992.
“I’ve really enjoyed it. The results are tangible,” says Viland, a Supply Chain Operations engineering manager who has worked on 20 homes. “The
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Communities General Mills 2010 Sleep Out Environment The company hosted its fourth annual the hardship that those who are Homelessness and Hunger Sleep Out homeless suffer through every day. Whether it’s finding on a blustery mid-November night “The Sleep Out helped my 6-year-old warm socks for kids that dumped 8 inches of snow on the daughter understand how fortunate estimated 200 employees and family in need or creating an we are to have a warm, safe home and members who participated in the event. event to raise money plenty of good food to eat – things we for the homeless, About US$70,000 was raised, with typically take for granted,” says Cindy proceeds going to two local organizations Koch, a finance director who helped General Mills that address homelessness and hunger organize the event. “She can’t really employees step up to needs: Interfaith Outreach & Community comprehend how many people struggle Will Hohman, son of Corporate make a difference. Partners; and Second Harvest Heartland. daily to meet these very basic needs, Communications’ Tess Hohman, stands but at least she understands that there before some of the cardboard boxes that The purpose of the event is to employees and families slept in the night are people who deserve our help.” raise money and awareness of before. Eight inches of snow fell during the General Mills 2010 Sleep Out.
Employees manage logistics to help kids get supplies Sixth-graders at Minnesota’s Shakopee “The need out there is tremendous,” says Middle School were all smiles at the Jane Szymanski, an operations manager start of the school year, thanks to at General Mills who helped coordinate more than US$900 raised by 180 the drive. “We can’t help all the children General Mills logistics employees. – but we want to start somewhere.”
For the fifth time since 2003, the logistics Over the years, General Mills’ teams team located at our headquarters office throughout the company have adopted a local classroom to raise funds, engaged in similar philanthropic not just for school supplies, but for basic efforts as a way to build team spirit needs, including tissues, warm socks while also helping the community. and hooded sweatshirts for kids in need.
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Communities Helping spirits soar Environment The General Mills Air Transportation department delivered help and hope to Haiti, and transported Special Olympic athletes to their dream destination.
After the General Mills Foundation Eight months later, the jet took part in the donated US$250,000 to support Citation Special Olympics airlift – one of disaster relief and rebuilding efforts the largest peacetime airlifts in the world in Haiti following the January 2010 – transporting more than 2,000 athletes devastating earthquake, General Mills to and from the 2010 Special Olympics continued its response by providing USA National Games in Lincoln, Neb. the company’s jet to deliver more than a ton of medical supplies to the beleaguered country in January 2010.
Volunteers help ‘goodworks’ grow More than 30 company “goodworks” volunteers shared their business skills to help seven Twin Cities-area community groups in 2009-2010.
The “goodworks” program broke new A second team helped develop the ground by helping nonprofit organizations positioning, branding and marketing plan develop ideas – and providing the for the Minneapolis Parks Foundation skills needed to put them into action. as it embarked on a new effort to attract more philanthropic giving A team from our Consumer Insights to the Minneapolis Park System. department, for example, helped the Walker Arts Center – the fifth-largest General Mills volunteers lent their museum of modern and contemporary diverse skills and expertise to seven art in the U.S. – identify possible Twin Cities-area nonprofit groups in new ways to attract more visitors. 2010. The value of the services was estimated at about US$200,000.
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Communities Employer of choice Environment We take great pride in the workplace culture that we’ve developed over many years — an environment that has been recognized by several different groups. Working Mother Hall of Fame Working Mother magazine recognized friendly list for 15 consecutive years – and General Mills for its strong commitment for making its top 10 list several times. to advancing women. It ranked General General Mills joins 30 other companies Mills first out of its top 100 companies in the magazine’s Hall of Fame. for its approach to workplace wellness, General Mills also earned high which includes comprehensive health marks for its evolving commitment Infant Care Center education and wellness programs, to workplace flexibility. celebrates 10th resources, and preventive care. anniversary We were named to the Hall of Fame For 10 years, our for appearing on the magazine’s work- Infant Care Center at our headquarters office has provided exceptional daycare in A great place to work a secure and nurturing atmosphere for infants Every year, General Mills conducts a “climate” survey of our employees to determine aged 6 weeks to 16 their perceptions about the company to help us improve the way we do business. months. It is one of In our most recent worldwide survey and our international wage score is as the General Mills Institute and the benefits General in 2010, 90 percent of our salaried up 8 percentage points since then. the Individual Development Plan. Mills provides as part employees said they would recommend General Mills has been conducting While we have the most deeply of its commitment to General Mills as a good place to work. regular surveys in the United States established survey tradition in North working parents. And 86 percent of our U.S. wage since 1999. In 2010, 82 percent of U.S. America, we have focused a lot of employees – and 80 percent of salaried employees agreed that they attention on our international businesses our international wage employees “have the opportunity for personal in recent years. Increasingly, our – would recommend General growth and development.” That figure international workplace culture is being Mills as a good place to work. is up 12 percent since 1999 – in large recognized by independent groups. part due to the creation of training Our U.S. wage score is up and development programs such 4 percentage points since 2008,
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Communities General Mills UK a great and cool place to work Environment For the third year in a row, General Mills on “sound moral principles,” but is “a UK has been ranked in the prestigious cool place to work.” Survey results Additional Company named Sunday Times newspaper’s “100 included “86 percent of the employees workplace honors Best Small Companies in the UK.” said they are proud to work for the top workplace company.” The company ranked 88th in Twin Cities The Sunday Times article said Among the many other awards for the second consecutive year. General Mills is not only managed the company received in 2010: General Mills was named the top workplace n 100 Best Companies to Work among large publicly For (No. 90), Fortune magazine held companies in the n Best in Leadership Twin Cities metro area Development (No. 14), based on an employee- Leadership Excellence magazine General Mills Canada based survey project from n Top Companies for Executive the Minneapolis-based debuts as a ‘Best Workplace’ Women, National Association Star Tribune, the state’s For the first time, General Mills This year the institute also selected for Female Executives largest newspaper. Canada has been named one of the award winners in six special n Top Companies for Leadership, The survey recognizes the country’s top 75 best workplaces categories; General Mills Canada won Bloomberg Businessweek.com most progressive companies by the Great Place to Work Institute, in the “credibility” category for how A complete list of our 2010 in the metro based on an international consulting firm. employees see their managers. workplace awards can be employee opinions about The company ranked No. 20. found on our awards page company leadership, career on GeneralMills.com opportunities, workplace flexibility, compensation and benefits. The analysis included responses from General Mills Australia over 33,000 employees at Minnesota public, private wins workplace award and nonprofit organizations. General Mills – for the first time – was public and private companies and named the “recommended employer” organizations that demonstrate the core for the food industry in Australia. values of business excellence, product excellence, sustainability and commercial The “Australian Business Award for success in their respective industries. Recommended Employer” is a national, comprehensive program honoring
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Communities Leading programs that promote work/life flexibility Environment Balancing work and family is important for many General Mills employees, but especially so for Allison Pottinger, a member of the U.S. Women’s Curling Team, who competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Holding nine national titles, Pottinger, arrangements, time off, everyday who was named the 2008 USA female (informal) flexibility and FUSE curling athlete of the year, is the most (Flexible User Shared Environment). decorated women’s curler in U.S. “Nobody runs on exactly the same history. But she is also a wife, mom time schedule. No one has the same and senior associate in our Consumer responsibilities. To require the 8 a.m. to Insights department at General Mills. 5 p.m. structure risks losing potentially If she was to succeed at home, great people,” Pottinger says. work and on the ice, Pottinger Flexibility helped Pottinger succeed needed flexibility, and her managers in her life. It enables General Mills provided it with Work Flex. to attract and retain the very Work Flex defines how, when and best people, and empowers them where work gets done through to deliver the best results. options including: formal flexible work
Influence of FUSE grows More and more General Mills with technology that allows them to departments are switching to a FUSE easily move from location to location. (Flexible User Shared Environment) Our surveys of those who have working environment, which is made the switch have found that designed to meet the needs of today’s employees are more productive flexible, more mobile work force. and that there is better teamwork Compared with traditional work in the new, flexible environment. space, a FUSE environment provides “People given flexibility feel appreciated, In 2007, one small department of about choices for employees to work and that causes them to do more, not less.” 35 employees began working in a FUSE where they are most productive. environment. In 2010, there were about — Allison Pottinger, U.S. Olympic athlete Mobile employees choose where to sit 600 employees from seven departments and General Mills employee each day, and they store their belongings that have joined the FUSE community. in lockers. Employees are also equipped
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Communities Leading workplace wellness programs Environment General Mills has been an advocate of workplace wellness programs for more than 25 years. Today, our programs are widely recognized as among the best-in-class.
The cornerstone of our long-standing n Health Number for and blood lipid levels are wellness initiative is three similar manufacturing employees. measured and then tracked. programs that are tailored for Employees in each group are Over time, we have witnessed different employee groups: asked to complete a confidential significant improvements in n TriHealthalon for sales employees. online health assessment. employee health, which helps our company in many ways. n Total You for employees at In addition, employees’ body mass corporate headquarters. index, blood pressure, blood sugar U.S. Sen. Franken TriHealthalon celebrates silver anniversary but sets gold standard praises company’s wellness programs General Mills’ TriHealthalon, which concerned and sought a solution to celebrated its 25th anniversary in help. He created the TriHealthalon, a After attending “Start 2010, is one of a host of company wellness program tailored for sales Walking at Work Day,” programs and resources that has employees based on friendly competition and being given an over- resulted in lifestyle improvements. in adopting healthy lifestyle changes. view of our comprehensive wellness programs, Twenty-five years ago, many General This initial program, which served as U.S. Sen. Al Franken the model for similar wellness programs Mills sales employees had sedentary WATCH VIDEO of Minnesota praised the lifestyles or unhealthy habits. for headquarters and manufacturing company’s health and well- employees, has led to a culture of Dr. James L. Craig, then vice president ness programs, which he wellness throughout General Mills. of Health and Human Services, was said are a model for holding down health care costs. “It’s good that health and wellness are so much a part Yoplait plant No. 1 in corporate fitness challenge of your brand, especially Eighty-four Carson, Calif., Yoplait health initiative in May 2010, employees averaged more than 14,000 steps at a time when obesity is plant employees clicked on their spent the next 16 weeks taking a virtual per day – the equivalent of 5.6 increasing and people are cyber passports and took a virtual walk around the world, and learned miles for each participant. not eating as well as they walk around the world during the online about different countries, customs, need to,” Franken said. The “Seven Wonders of Carson” team summer, racking up 95 million steps history, geography, food and politics. – the plant’s top team of seven – placed to travel more than 38,000 miles. Each team committed to the 10,000 No. 1 among 58 corporations in the After enrolling in the Global Corporate steps a day, pedometer-based North America field, and No. 891 in Challenge, the world’s largest corporate walking challenge. The walkers a field of 14,000 teams worldwide.
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Environment Daryl’s excellent (and healthy) adventures Daryl Blakeborough may be the poster employee for the company’s fitness programs.
The General Mills architect – who Blakeborough says General Mills has Start! Fit-Friendly continues to help the company “go helped him live a healthy lifestyle. Company, American green” – leaves a very small carbon “There is no excuse if you are interested Heart Association footprint on his daily commute to in getting fit. General Mills makes it easy work, as well as his more adventurous In May, the company to have a healthy lifestyle,” he says. multi-state bicycle trips. won a platinum award And when he’s not working, he’s from the American Blakeborough, who has commuted likely riding. In the summer of to work since joining General Mills Heart Association for 2010, he completed a 1,587-mile in 1978, is also an avid runner. He being a Start! Fit- round trip, one-man pedal-a-thon is a charter member of the Twin Friendly company. to Wyoming’s Devils Tower. Cities Marathon, having run all of the With its fitness centers, bike racks Awarded annually, “For the last three years, I’ve been taking marathons since the first race in 1982. and shower facilities, General Mills platinum-level longer bike trips and trying to go a little Noting the many amenities in the has encouraged a very active bit farther,” says Blakeborough, who recognition is for headquarters office such as the on-site biking community – many of rides his bike to work about 100 days companies that fulfill all fitness center and wellness programs, whom commute to work. each year, covering some 6,000 miles. the gold-level criteria and demonstrate at least one behavior change, and achieve ‘Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles,’ National Business Group on Health at least one cost savings outcome. The National Business Group on “recognize the urgent need to improve Health honored General Mills their workers’ health, productivity for its commitment to workplace and quality of life.” The goal of the health and wellness programs program is to serve as a catalyst to with a “Best Employers for Healthy encourage all employers to take action. Lifestyles” gold award. General Mills has earned gold awards The Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles for the past four consecutive years. awards acknowledge employers that
We regularly host wellness activities for employees. Here, employees take a spin on our groomed cross-country trails at our headquarters office in Minneapolis.
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Communities Working to improve workplace safety Environment We recorded a total of 169 lost-time entrapped in a grain bin. An intensive safety officials rigorously addressed accidents in fiscal 2010 among all of our rescue effort was unsuccessful. The retraining of grain-handling personnel manufacturing facilities globally – incident was extensively reviewed to reinforce the necessity of safe down from 205 in fiscal 2009. Our both internally and externally. grain-handling procedures – and the ultimate goal is zero lost-time injuries. potentially dire consequences of not Though safety systems were in place doing so – to prevent any similar event. Sadly, however, we did suffer a work- and extensive training had been related fatality in fiscal 2010, when completed, proper safety procedures an employee became accidentally were not followed. General Mills’
North America – Total Injury Rate North America – Lost-Time Injury Rate Global Total Injury Rate Global Lost-Time Injury Rate
Lost-Time injury rate 0.75 General Mills injury history 1975 to date 14.00 0.70 12.00
0.65 10.00
0.60 8.00
6.00 0.55 4.00 0.50
GOAL 2.00
Lost-time injuries per 100 employees Lost-time 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 0.00 Fiscal Year 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
General Mills has been working toward a goal of reducing In fiscal 2010, we recorded a total of 169 lost-time accidents at all of our manufacturing facilities its lost-time injury rate by 25 percent over five years. globally, down from 205 in fiscal 2009. Our ultimate goal, of course, is zero lost-time injuries.
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Communities Promoting diversity and inclusion Environment General Mills embraces diversity and inclusion as key drivers of innovation. We consciously create diverse teams, learning from experience that they tend to produce the best results. Company awards for diversity A Greek national, for example, runs When people are valued for who FEEDING our emerging Vietnam business, they are, they’re more engaged, and DREAMS IN OUR and an Indian national heads up we reap the benefit of their ideas. COMMUNITY General Mills’ efforts to create an our business in Germany. It’s a simple, effective strategy inclusive, supportive workplace 2011 African American were recognized by a number of for innovation and growth. Community Report This kind of fluid approach to idea organizations in 2010, including: sharing – whether from different Our 17 employee networks and cultures or different life experiences diversity councils include: n 100 Best Companies to Work – is a hallmark of the culture we try For, Fortune magazine n Asian Heritage Network Black Champions Network to create throughout General Mills. Report to the Community n Top 50 Companies for n American Indian Council Diversity, DiversityInc It’s also one reason why we purchase At the end of fiscal 2010, 19.4 percent from minority- and women-owned n Betty’s Family GLBT n Best Companies for suppliers, and support 17 employee Employee Network of our U.S. employees were minorities. Multicultural Women, networks and diversity councils. Nearly 16 percent of management-level Working Mother magazine n Black Champions Network positions are held by people of color. n Best Places to Work for These networks, councils and suppliers n Hispanic Network LGBT Equality, Human Rights – with their wealth of different Campaign Foundation perspectives – help create an inclusive n South Asian American shared culture that is designed to Employee Network n Top Companies for Diverse make the whole of General Mills MBA’s and Managers, n MENA Network (Middle Diversity MBA magazine greater than the sum of its parts. East and North Africa) n Top 25 Supplier Diversity, Hispanic Business magazine
New employee network launched With the creation of the Middle The new network, which has members East & North Africa (MENA) from more than half of the 20 countries employee network, another thread in the MENA region, is open to was woven into the cultural fabric of everyone dedicated to diversity and General Mills employee diversity. a desire to broaden their learning.
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Advancing women at General Mills Environment We have a strong track record of hiring and advancing women throughout their careers at General Mills. Four of our seven U.S. Retail division presidents are women, for example, and Perfect rating more than 40 percent of the company’s management work force is made up of women. by Human
One reason for our success in n Creating networking opportunities. and regularly being named to the National Rights Campaign promoting women to leadership Association of Female Executive’s list Foundation n Facilitating their development. positions is our long-standing Women’s of top 10 companies, the Women’s In fiscal 2010, Network, which is really an umbrella n Promoting leadership Network continues to push for change. General Mills again network of several different women’s education and excellence. In 2010, our Women in Leadership group groups throughout the company. achieved a perfect n Educating and sharing developed an ambitious roadmap of goals 100 percent rating on information on gender issues. There are women employee networks for for the next 10 years. Its title: Leverage the Human Rights virtually every aspect of our business – women to drive championship results. The Women’s Network regularly hosts among them Women Across Finance, Campaign Foundation’s guest speakers and forums on issues Sales Women’s Forum and Women in corporate equality of particular importance to women. Supply Chain. But the goal of all these index, the leading networks is the same – to encourage And despite the company’s inclusion in rating system for U.S. success for women at General Mills by: Working Mother magazine’s Hall of Fame employers of their policies and practices concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual and Hispanic Network sets record transgender employees.
The Hispanic Network conducted its “It strengthens our networking and largest leadership event in its history community-building, provides insights on – bringing together members from success strategies, and helps us better throughout the world for a three-day understand the company, broadens summit and the creation of its first ever our external focus, and allows us to “Report to the Community” brochure. celebrate achievements,” says Elizondo.
The Hispanic Leadership Development In addition to helping build a culture Summit was designed to provide of inclusion, the Hispanic Network employees with several benefits, also had a hand in the successful General Mills has significantly increased its according to Tony Elizondo, chair of launch of four Mexican-influenced multicultural marketing spending in recent the 2010 summit organizing team. “World Recipe” soups for Progresso. years under the leadership of Rudy Rodriguez, our multicultural marketing director.
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Environment Supplier diversity video highlights thriving program General Mills showcased its commitment and, in the process, develop the next to promoting diversity across the generation of great American storytellers. supply chain by going beyond the facts “The General Mills project really puts and figures. We put a face – many a stamp of approval on our program,” actually – on our thriving Supplier says Derrick Cameron, GFS program Diversity program. To do so, the director. “It was good for our students company turned to a nontraditional, and us. It was a very positive experience.” nonprofit New York-based film school. The proceeds received for producing the We teamed with the decade-old video will be reinvested back into GFS Ghetto Film School (GFS) to produce and help fund fellowship programs. a supplier diversity video – shot in Dallas, Seattle and Minneapolis – to Since the Supplier Diversity program showcase the company’s commitment began in 2003, General Mills’ purchasing to diversity in a new way. from minority-owned suppliers has more than doubled, Momon notes. Children from the Boys and Girls Club of Dallas say thank you to General Mills – and one “Traditionally, we’ve always framed of our suppliers, MW Logistics – for donating 1,000 books through Cheerios’ Spoonfuls of Vendors supply General Mills with a our story around how much we’re Stories program. James Momon (center) is the director of our Supplier Diversity program. wide range of products and services, spending,” says James Momon, director including consulting, ingredients, of Supplier Diversity for General Mills. legal counsel and packaging. Purchasing history with minority-owned suppliers “I wanted to try something different $550 and thought the Ghetto Film School $500 could tell our story in a unique and $450 interesting way. And I also wanted to $400 practice what I preach – to give people $350 the opportunity to excel and achieve.” $300 Founded a decade ago, GFS’s mission $250 is to connect talented young people $200 (in millions) (US$) (in millions) to artistic, educational and career WATCH VIDEO $150 opportunities in the field of film and video, $100 $189 $209 $229 $264 $352 $460 $495 $445 $50 Purchasing with minority-owned suppliers suppliers with minority-owned Purchasing 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Fiscal Year General Mills’ commitment to supplier diversity remains strong – despite the decrease in fiscal 2010 caused by deflationary markets, spending declines and internal cost- saving initiatives. To mitigate these challenges, we held a supplier diversity forum in 2010 to develop additional business development ideas for our supplier diversity partners. (This chart does not reflect spending with women-owned businesses.)
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Communities
Environment Feeding Dreams expands to 10 cities “Feeding Dreams” – a program group and Consumer Insights, with Miami, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Fla., celebrating Black Community input from the Black Champions Columbus, Ga., and Jackson, Miss. Champions who are making a difference Network employee group. Brands currently supporting in their neighborhoods – expanded The program has focused on developing Feeding Dreams include: Honey its reach from four southeastern relationships with African-American Nut Cheerios, Yoplait, Grands! biscuits, U.S. cities to 10 in 2010. consumers in Birmingham, Ala., Betty Crocker, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, The company’s first corporate African- Charlotte, N.C., Norfolk, Va., and Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Bars, American campaign was co-created Memphis, Tenn., but is now available in and Hamburger Helper dinner mixes. by our Multicultural Marketing six additional cities. They are: Atlanta,
MLK Breakfast marks 20th anniversary What started with 800 guests in 1991 the General Mills Foundation joined And our employees also use this has grown to draw capacity crowds together to host a community opportunity to perform volunteer of 3,000-plus at the Minneapolis celebration to honor Dr. King’s legacy. work in the community at several Convention Center and is now one different community organizations. General Mills and its employees and of the largest Dr. Martin Luther King retirees have long been supporters Past speakers at the MLK Breakfast Jr. Holiday breakfasts in the nation. of the breakfast. A committee of include General Colin Powell, USA (Ret), The annual holiday breakfast got more than 30 volunteers – made up Alex Haley, Yolanda King, U.S. Rep. John its start 20 years ago when UNCF primarily of General Mills employees Lewis and The Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery. WATCH VIDEO (United Negro College Fund) and – organizes the breakfast each year.
Red Lake mentoring program continues Continuing a relationship born out of with the community following the 2005 Company employees mentored 12 Red tragedy, two Red Lake High School school shooting that resulted in the death Lake students during the 2009-2010 students from northern Minnesota of 10 and the wounding of several more. school year in a program focused on spent a week at General Mills helping students go to college. All The students traveled to Minneapolis learning about the world of work. five 2010 graduating seniors chose to see for themselves what a career to continue their educations. The event was organized by the General in business looks like. The idea is to Mills American Indian Council (GMAIC). demystify what the working world is In the past five years, GMAIC The council, which launched a mentoring about for those who might be the first members have visited Red Lake program for high potential students at in their family to go on to college. many times, teaching students about the school two years ago, began working corporate life and the food industry.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 49 Health
Communities Corporate governance Environment General Mills has a long-standing commitment to good corporate governance practices. These practices provide an important framework within which our board of directors and management pursue the strategic objectives of the company and ensure its long-term vitality for the benefit of shareholders. Board independence sessions without management directors a comprehensive internal control and decision-making processes. present are scheduled at each board framework that includes definitive Our board’s Public Responsibility and composition meeting. The chair of the Corporate policies and procedures, effective Committee oversees this area. Governance Committee acts as presiding internal control standards, and regular General Mills believes that a substantial Leadership at our facilities is incented director at executive sessions. monitoring and auditing activities to majority of its board members should to achieve safety and environmental ensure that our business is appropriately be independent, nonemployee goals, and sustainability has become part Director Code controlled and that our financial reporting directors. The board has adopted of our capital allocation process. The complies with all regulatory standards. criteria for independence based on of Conduct impact of a particular project in helping those established by the New York All directors are governed by the Our management assertions regarding us achieve our overall sustainability goals Stock Exchange. Director affiliations company’s Director Code of Conduct. the integrity of our financial reports is considered – in addition to traditional and transactions are regularly reviewed The Corporate Governance Committee and internal control systems are return-on-investment calculations – for to ensure there are no conflicts or of the board ensures compliance with supported by a rigorous and regular funding sustainability capital projects. relationships with the company that the Director Code. A copy of our Director testing process across all of our material might impair a director’s independence Code of Conduct, along with charters financial reporting activities with further from the company and our auditors. for all board committees, can be found testing and review by our internal audit All board committees are composed online in the Corporate Governance function and our external auditors. entirely of independent, nonemployee section of GeneralMills.com. The Audit Committee of the board directors, and all directors stand for of directors receives regular updates re-election annually. We also value Management on our financial reporting and control diversity on our board of directors. As of governance and activities. The Audit Committee the writing of this report, General Mills compliance systems also reviews the company’s actions had four women and three minority in the area of risk management and directors on its 13-member board. General Mills is firmly committed broader compliance activities. to integrity in its financial reporting Board performance and control activities. The Employee Sustainability and operations Code of Conduct establishes our high expectations and standards of ethical integration Board meetings and background behavior in the workplace, particularly Sustainability considerations are materials sent to directors focus on the in the area of financial reporting integrated into the company’s company’s key strategic, leadership and control. The company employs accountability, risk management and performance issues. Executive
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 50 Health
Communities Ethics and compliance Environment At General Mills, we have high expectations for ethical conduct in every aspect of our business. “When we think about Starting with our chairman and CEO, the small decisions,” the husband, intranet site – highlighted the positive the Ethics & Compliance group, led by who spent 30 months in prison (his ethical decisions made by employees. integrity and ethics, the chief compliance and risk officer, is wife spent 24 months), explained. it is our everyday One poster explained how an committed to fostering and continuing decisions that are most Ken Powell, our chairman and employee forfeited a US$30,000 General Mills’ long-standing culture of chief executive officer, kicked off prize after making a hole-in-one at important. How we integrity by ensuring that employees the event, and a panel of senior a charity golf game hosted by one conduct ourselves know what it means to behave leaders shared their perspectives of our customers. At a minimum, in every facet of our ethically and to act in compliance with on integrity and our business. accepting the prize could create the our Code of Conduct and policies. jobs – whether with appearance of a conflict of interest. Our Ethics & Compliance group used our fellow employees, We achieve these goals by regularly the occasion to drive home the message Our Code of Conduct, corporate our customers or our communicating and training. We that small decisions really do matter. policies, online training and Ethics also leverage our senior leadership’s suppliers – reflects Line (to report possible violations) commitment to integrity. In the weeks leading up to the conference, not only on us, are available in 11 languages. posters – and articles on our company For example, we host an annual individually, but also Ethics in Action event; our 2010 event on our company.” theme was “small things matter.” — Ken Powell, Chairman and Chief Executive The ethics discussion featured Officer, General Mills two white-collar criminals from a different company, moderated by a I told my former assistant U.S. attorney. manager my I turned down uncle works a $30,000 Before a packed audience at our for one of our hole-in-one suppliers. prize. Minneapolis headquarters office, the husband and wife team described how Nick Ariens Kelly Price they embezzled more than $1 million from the company they worked for. Ethics in Action Ethics in Action “Small things matter. …It’s not that hard 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 of a line to cross. You’ve got to watch Celebrate our Ethics Champions Celebrate our Ethics Champions Tues. Feb. 9, 9 am Tues. Feb. 9, 9 am Champions Center Auditorium Champions Center Auditorium Lunch to follow Lunch to follow
Small things matter. Small things matter.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 51 Health
Communities Responsible sourcing Environment General Mills’ commitment to good corporate citizenship extends globally to our sourcing activities, suppliers and vendors. We’ve had a long-standing policy designed to ensure that our suppliers and vendors act ethically and responsibly in all aspects of their business.
Our responsible sourcing program our employees understand and abide we expect our suppliers to meet begins with a clear commitment by these standards and principles. in several areas, including: to protecting human rights In addition to the broad-based training n Food safety in our own workplace. programs we operate to promote n Forced labor We are signatories to the United best practices and compliance within n Child labor Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and our own facilities, we operate a n Freedom of association are guided by the International Labour confidential hotline where employees and collective bargaining Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on can report issues anonymously. Fundamental Principles at Work. We n Health and safety And our Supplier Code of Conduct have policies and a Code of Conduct so n Environment clearly spells out the standards n Anti-corruption
Education is key A key element of our responsible consumer packaged goods companies test compliance with our responsible sourcing program is education, which assembled to enable and promote sourcing standards at our own Responsible typically occurs during audits of our responsible sourcing practices. plants and third-party plants that suppliers. Where compliance gaps produce finished goods for us. sourcing training Through collaboration on a exist, we’ve learned that they are more precompetitive basis, AIMPROGRESS Our responsible sourcing team often due to a lack of awareness than a We participate in supplier training members share best responsible continues to carefully review the disregard for our policies and procedures. through AIM-PROGRESS, a sourcing practices, leverage training and results of each audit conducted forum of consumer packaged We’re developing a program to provide awareness opportunities, and recognize and, where noncompliance exists, goods companies. responsible sourcing education as audits conducted by other members. require a remediation plan and In 2010, AIM-PROGRESS held eight part of our on-boarding process for verification of remediation. Mutual recognition of audits extends the supplier training awareness sessions suppliers and third parties that provide reach of each participating members’ Protecting human rights through on four continents for more than finished goods for us. We are planning responsible sourcing program and our responsible sourcing program 1,000 suppliers. General Mills co-led to launch the program in June 2011. encourages buy-in from suppliers. is a critical part of our Nourishing a North American webinar session We also continue to play a leading Lives mission. We will continue our for more than 100 attendees. General Mills uses internationally role in AIMPROGRESS, a forum of efforts in this important area. recognized third party-auditors to
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 52 Health
Communities Socially and environmentally responsible ingredient sourcing Environment General Mills is also involved with a number of organizations to help ensure that the ingredients we buy are sourced in a socially and environmentally responsible way.
For example, we are concerned about Similarly, although we do not buy Enhancing the productivity of vanilla the role palm oil sourcing plays in the chocolate or cocoa directly from vines through genetic research could deforestation of the world’s rainforests producers, we do buy processed improve the economic viability of the and the impact on biodiversity, chocolate products – like chocolate crop, thereby leading to more socially endangered species, greenhouse gas chips – from other food companies. sustainable methods of growing vanilla. emissions and indigenous peoples. We recently joined the World Cocoa These are just a few of the efforts under For that reason, we support the Foundation and are working with way at General Mills to ensure that principles of the Roundtable on this 70-member nonprofit group to the ingredients we use in our products Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and only encourage socially, economically are produced in an environmentally purchase from RSPO members. and environmentally responsible and socially responsible way. and sustainable cocoa farming. In September 2010, we announced our commitment to “strive to source We also recently authorized 100 percent of our palm oil from US$200,000 to fund research to responsible and sustainable help develop more economically sources by 2015.” sustainable ways to grow vanilla.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 53 Environment: The planet we share Health Communities
Environment
General Mills has been making steady progress on reducing its environmental footprint for several years. But 2010 may be our best year ever when you consider the following firsts.
n Energy from oat hulls. We n Energy from the sun. Our n Environmentally friendly n Environmental management brought online new equipment first U.S. facility to produce buildings. Our first LEED- certification. All of our European that burns oat hulls left over some of its own electricity via certified buildings opened manufacturing locations are now from our milling process to solar panels came online at their doors – a distribution “ISO 14001” certified, a globally provide 90 percent of the steam our facility in Methuen, Mass. facility in Georgia, and an recognized environmental to operate our Fridley, Minn., – and a second bank of solar existing office building in management system. facility that makes oat flour for panels was installed at our Minneapolis that was upgraded Cheerios and other products. headquarters in Minneapolis. to meet LEED specifications.
Many factors have contributed to the success of our recent sustainability projects. But one of the most important is the longtime support from our chairman and CEO, Ken Powell. “General Mills is committed to protect and conserve the natural In addition to championing sustainability within General Mills, Powell chairs resource base our business depends the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s (GMA) Sustainability Leadership upon by continuously improving our Committee. He and others have been active in supporting sustainability environmental performance. We initiatives with the GMA and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI). build consumer loyalty, societal trust and shareholder value by integrating At the GMA/FMI Sustainability Summit in December 2010, Powell delivered sustainability into our strategies, the keynote address to this group where he talked about how sustainability our operations and our products.” efforts are not only the right thing to do, but are also good for business. — General Mills environmental sustainability mission statement
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 54 Health
Communities Progress on sustainability goals Environment General Mills made substantial progress on achieving our environmental sustainability goals during fiscal 2010, along with developing expanded and more aggressive sustainability goals for our manufacturing facilities by fiscal 2015.
“We’re pleased with our overall progress n Water usage rate by 20 percent by † and feel confident we have the systems 2015. (From a fiscal 2006 baseline.) General Mills environmental sustainability goals in place to achieve more substantial gains n Solid waste generation rate Sustainability Rate reduction Actual rate Rate reduction in the next five years,” says Larry Deeney, by 50 percent by 2015. metric goals by reductions goals by director of environmental sustainability. (FY2005 baseline) FY2010 FY2006 – FY2010 FY2015 In addition, the company has set a As of the close of fiscal 2010, our transportation goal for North American Energy global operations had achieved the operations to reduce the fuel used consumption 15% 6% 20% following sustainability indicators, to ship a pound of product by which apply to our wholly-owned Greenhouse 35 percent by fiscal 2015, using fiscal gas emission 15% 8% 20% manufacturing facilities: 2009 as a baseline. Achieving this goal would reduce our greenhouse Water n A 33 percent reduction in usage 5% 9%* 20%* our solid waste generation gas emissions generated by rate – more than twice the shipping products by 35 percent. Solid waste generation 15% 33% 50% 15 percent goal set in fiscal 2005. We’ve also established a 2015 goal Transportation n A 9 percent reduction in our to reduce the environmental footprint fuel** 35%** water usage rate – nearly twice the of the packaging used to protect and 5 percent goal set in fiscal 2006. sell our products. Our goal is that Percent of packaging volume to be 40 percent of our global product volume Packaging n An 8 percent reduction in our improved by 2015 will be sold in packaging that has been footprint** greenhouse gas emission rate – about *** improved over the baseline year of 40% halfway toward the 15 percent goal. fiscal 2009. Four key indicators will be † Normalized to metric tons of production. n A 6 percent reduction in our used to assess improvement: packaging * The fiscal 2011 water goal is measured from fiscal 2006 baseline data. energy consumption rate – short weight, recycled content, renewable ** The North American transportation goal and packaging goal of our 15 percent goal. are measured from fiscal 2009 baseline data. content, and truck loading efficiency. *** Four key indicators are used to assess improvement: packaging weight; The company has also set new, expanded Several of our businesses have recycled content; renewable content; truck efficiency. environmental sustainability goals made significant improvements (using fiscal 2005 as a baseline). since fiscal 2006: And they’ve reduced their water And they’ve reduced their water We’ve set targets to reduce our: usage rate by 25 percent. usage rate by nearly 16 percent. n The plants that produce our n Energy usage rate by n The plants that produce our Pillsbury n The plants that produce our Yoplait Big G cereals – our largest business 20 percent by fiscal 2015. products reduced their energy products reduced their energy in the U.S. – reduced their energy consumption rate by 17 percent consumption rate by 12 percent n Greenhouse gas emission rate consumption rate by 14 percent through the end of fiscal 2010. through the end of fiscal 2010. by 20 percent by 2015. through the end of fiscal 2010.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 55 Health
Communities Continuous Improvement and Holistic Margin Management culture deepens Environment Companywide efforts to reduce our environmental footprint have been furthered by two ongoing internal movements: Continuous Improvement (CI) and Holistic Margin Management (HMM). “Continuous Improvement (CI) is Continuous Improvement is a n Installing energy meters on several companywide initiative to leverage pieces of equipment at our Covington, a common business a set of standardized tools to help Ga., plant led to annual savings philosophy that also teams identify, eliminate and prevent of more than US$600,000. The describes a set of waste. CI encourages total employee additional data allowed operators standardized tools ownership of our processes – to optimize the production, and and processes we from plant production lines to the plans are in the works to extend use at General Mills creation of company advertising. more robust energy metering systems at more facilities. to minimize costs For the past six years, General Mills and eliminate waste. has been focused on Holistic Margin n By identifying a new variety of rice Seretram facility in Labatut, France The intensity of our Management. HMM calls on cross- for our Rice Chex cereal that is functional teams to understand the grown closer to where the cereal CI efforts has been drivers of value for their brands and to is produced, we are able to reduce n In Europe, Australia and India, we’ve ratcheted up in the eliminate non-value added costs and our transportation costs while kept the size of our Nature Valley past 18 months. As activities throughout the supply chain. maintaining taste and quality. granola bars the same but made we trim our use of These savings are then captured and the boxes smaller, which saves both n At our facility in Labatut, France, natural resources, reinvested to further grow the business. packaging and transportation. where we pack our Green Giant we’re becoming a more These savings frequently have an vegetables, our can supplier is now sustainable company.” environmental benefit. Among them: located alongside our manufacturing — Denise Holloman facility, which significantly Vice President reduces transportation costs. Continuous Improvement
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 56 Health
Communities Reducing our energy usage Environment In fiscal 2010, our facilities used the equivalent of 530 kilowatt hours of energy per metric ton of production – a 6 percent reduction from our 2005 baseline but short of the 15 percent goal we had hoped to achieve.
We fell short, in part, because and embedded into the manufacturing consumer demand has grown for culture. The bulk of our energy reductions more products – such as cereal and have occurred in the last three years. We granola bars – that require cooking or believe our new, 20 percent energy usage toasting (which requires more energy). reduction goal by 2015 is attainable. Our energy usage rate is determined As a food company dependent on by the amount of energy required to agriculture for many of our primary produce a pound of various products. ingredients, climate change – and its But we expect greater savings in coming possible effect on crops – has long been energy use, the main source of CO years as the systems and procedures now a concern. That’s why we have focused 2 emissions at a food processing plant. in place become more widely embraced much of our attention on reducing
Energy consumption rate Total energy consumed
590 2.80 570 2.75 550 2.70 530 2.65 510
ton of product ton 2.60 490 Billions of kilowatt hours Billions of kilowatt Kilowatt hours per metric hours Kilowatt 470 2.55
450 2.50 GOAL 0 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Fiscal Year Fiscal Year
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 57 Health
Communities Burning oat hulls for energy Environment Our decades-long production of Cheerios entered a new chapter in December 2010 with the startup of our first biomass-powered plant in Fridley, Minn.
The US$3.3 million biomass unit at our In recent years, the oat hulls, which Fridley flour mill began burning oat hulls have roughly the same energy value left over from the milling process in as bituminous coal, have been used December 2010. It now produces about to fuel a U.S. Steel plant in northern 90 percent of the steam needed to heat Minnesota and as fiber for a food the plant and produce oat flour used in company in Cambridge, Minn. making Cheerios and other products. Our oat hulls are also currently burned We estimate that burning the oat hulls by Koda Energy, a biomass plant in on-site will save about US$390,000 nearby Shakopee, Minn., that generates per year – mostly from reduced natural enough electricity, on average, to gas costs – and will cut the plant’s power about 17,000 homes. carbon footprint by about 21 percent. We produce enough oat hulls that we “Burning them on-site is a more can continue to provide them as an sustainable – and cheaper – solution energy or fiber source for others. over the long haul,” says John Hellweg, Fridley manufacturing manager. “There is an environmental cost around the transportation of a bulky fuel like oat hulls.”
WATCH VIDEO
John Hellweg, the manufacturing manager at our Fridley flour mill, has been working for four years to get the biomass burner built. “It’s nice to see a good idea come to life – one that’s good for the environment and saves the company money,” he says.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 58 Health
Communities Methuen’s moment in the sun Environment General Mills’ first U.S. facility to produce its own electricity via solar panels had its day in the sun in July 2010 when the governor of Massachusetts and several state and local officials praised our Methuen, Mass., facility for its commitment to sustainable energy and job creation.
“General Mills, you set an enviable To help underwrite the solar panels, example – not only for the Merrimack General Mills received a combination Valley and Massachusetts but for the of state and federal incentives that entire nation,” said Gov. Deval Patrick in Massachusetts has used to create a video message to those gathered to more “green” jobs in the state. One celebrate the project. “Thank you for your Boston-area company installed the corporate and environmental stewardship solar panels and another manufactured and for your generational responsibility.” the equipment required to convert the current from DC to AC. The panels atop the warehouse produce 110 kilowatts of electricity to While a northern state like supply about 55 percent of its annual Massachusetts may seem like an electricity needs – 80 percent of its unlikely place to install solar panels, consumption in the summer and about the sun shines an average of 202 days 40 percent during the rest of the year. annually in Methuen, making it a good location for generating solar power. That’s enough energy to power about 12 average Massachusetts homes each year. It’s estimated that the panels will Massachusetts governor save General Mills about US$19,000 praises General Mills and our per year in electricity costs and offset more than 112,000 pounds of carbon commitment to green energy. dioxide annually – the equivalent of taking 10 cars off the road.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick cited General Mills’ Methuen plant for its commitment to sustainable energy and for helping create jobs in the state. The solar panels are an example of the governor’s effort to create “green” jobs in Massachusetts. One Boston-area company installed the solar panels and another manufactured the equipment required to convert the current from DC to AC. WATCH VIDEO
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 59 Health
Communities New solar panels will light up the ramp Environment A solar collector installed at our headquarters in Minneapolis in October 2010 will generate enough electrical energy to power lighting in our employee parking ramp.
This project follows the 2008 installation as prairie grasses and thyme – in the of a solar water heating system on the summer of 2008. Studies have shown roof of one of our headquarters buildings. that green roofs can reduce both The solar water heater supplies hot summer cooling and winter heating water for our east wing building. needs by as much as 26 percent.
We also installed a “green roof” – adorned with 4,000 perennials such
Wind energy update General Mills has invested in and remains committed to a community-based wind energy project about 60 miles west of our headquarters in Minneapolis.
Throughout 2010, Norfolk Wind The project will have the capacity line construction make project Energy, based in Bird Island, Minn., to generate about 40 megawatts of timing uncertain, General Mills fully continued to collect wind data, toured electricity – enough to supply about supports the development of wind other wind farms and secured leases 12,000 homes. The electricity – energy through this initiative. from area farmers (including some generated from 20 wind turbines – will who grow Green Giant vegetables be fed into the local power grid, which for General Mills) interested in also supplies our headquarters office. having a wind turbine on their land. While the fluctuating demand for In return, farmers are compensated, electricity and dynamics of transmission boosting the local economy.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 60 Health
Communities Reducing greenhouse gas emissions Environment In fiscal 2010, our total greenhouse gas emissions due to energy use in Nature Valley production facilities was 0.19 metric tons of CO2 equivalents per metric ton of product (as expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents). volunteers plant
This is an 8 percent reduction in our noted that General Mills is a participant While we did not reach our 2010 goal, we trees in the greenhouse gas emission rate over our in the Carbon Disclosure Project. believe that the systems and processes Philippines 2005 baseline – about halfway toward we have in place will enable us to reach Essentially all of the greenhouse the 15 percent goal we had hoped to the new 20 percent greenhouse gas gases produced by the company’s To help restore rainforests near achieve by the end of fiscal 2010. reduction goal we have set for fiscal 2015. manufacturing plants are derived from Manila, several local employees Our calculations are based on the U.S. energy usage. We use natural gas, fuel in our Nature Valley division – EPA’s Climate Leaders Greenhouse Gas oil and propane, as well as electricity with the support of the Philippine Inventory Protocol. It should also be generated by various sources. Department of Environment and Natural Resources – helped organize about 400 volunteers who planted more than 11,000 trees in 2010. After decades of deforestation, forests in the Philippines Greenhouse gas emissions rate Total greenhouse gas emissions continue to be under threat from urbanization, illegal logging 0.24 1.10 and forest fires. Planting trees, which absorb carbon dioxide, (eq.) (eq.) 2 helps curb global warming. 1.05
(eq.) per (eq.) 0.21 2 Nature Valley employees also organized a fun run that was held in 1.00 conjunction with the tree planting 0.18 event to stress the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
metric ton of product metric ton 0.95 Metric tons of CO Metric tons Millions of metric tons CO Millions of metric tons 0.15 0.90 GOAL 0 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Fiscal Year Fiscal Year
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 61 Health
Communities Reducing our water usage Environment
In fiscal 2010, our total water usage Water is critical to food manufacturing – A wastewater treatment facility at our rate was 2.1 cubic meters per metric it is used as an ingredient, a plant in Covington, Ga., has cut its water ton of production – a 9 percent coolant, and to clean and sanitize use nearly in half, saving an estimated 5.3 million gallons per month. reduction compared with our 2006 manufacturing equipment. We track baseline. That is nearly twice the the usage of water in each facility to 5 percent reduction goal we set in 2006. identify areas of high usage and target opportunities for water conservation. WATCH VIDEO Water and food processing Water usage rate Total water used 2.50 12 We track the usage of water at 2.40 each facility to identify areas of high usage and target opportunities 2.30 for water conservation. Our 11 water comes from private wells 2.20 or municipal supplies, and is treated as necessary before use. 2.10
metric ton of product metric ton We monitor water quality Millions of cubic meters Cubic meters of water per of water meters Cubic 2.00 10 closely to protect both GOAL 0 0 employees and our products. 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Fiscal Year Fiscal Year
‘Scoop shower’ saves water and money for Häagen-Dazs A new “scoop shower” is helping keep Häagen-Dazs ice cream scoops clean – while also saving money and water.
The innovation, which reduced tap Up to 250,000 liters of water per year water pressure over the scoop for water use by 75 percent and, when fully can flow through a continuously flowing 5 to 6 seconds when an “actuator” implemented, will save an estimated ice cream scoop dipper well, and button is deployed. The new scoop US$1 million annually, was installed most stores have two or three wells. showers also maintain food safety. in about 30 of our company-owned A cross-functional U.S-European We are currently in the process of Häagen-Dazs shops around the world. employee team worked with the rolling out these scoop showers to Previously, water ran continuously over manufacturer on the design of the new our franchised Häagen-Dazs shops. the scoops to prevent bacterial growth. scoop showers, which exert extreme
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 62 Health
Communities A passion for water conservation Environment The focus for much of Carolyn Sampson’s personal, academic and professional life has been water conservation.
For the past decade, she has been Sampson’s expertise in water issues deeply involved – including serving was also tapped by the Minnesota as board chair – with the Friends of Legislature and the University of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Minnesota’s famed Water Resource an advisory group that helps set Center. The Legislature asked the center policies for the most heavily used to develop a 25-year plan to ensure the federal wilderness area in the U.S. future of clean water in Minnesota.
For her Ph.D. thesis in environmental Sampson – working as a volunteer engineering, she studied how a small lake and not representing General Mills in Wisconsin could recover from acid rain. – served with the group that pulled together the recommendations from So it’s not surprising that in her role as nine subject-specific work groups. an environmental manager for General Mills, Sampson’s focus has also been “General Mills is committed to protecting on preserving water resources. and conserving our natural resource base because it’s the right thing to do Sampson is also part of a team evaluating and because our business depends upon water risks in our supply chain. In those resources being plentiful in the 2010, General Mills partnered with the future,” says Sampson, adding that her World Wildlife Fund – one of the world’s work on the two projects is related. largest conservation organizations – to develop a comprehensive strategy “As vital as water is to the life of to help determine the water risks everything on our planet, from a holistic associated with key commodities. vantage point, it’s surprising how little we know about protecting it. I hope both While the methodology is still of these efforts can help preserve water being developed, General Mills is quality for generations to come – for committed to exploring multiple the state of Minnesota and the world.” strategies for conserving water.
Carolyn Sampson, environmental manager, General Mills
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 63 Health
Communities Reducing solid waste generation rate Environment In fiscal 2010, 0.036 tons of waste was generating the waste. We also reduce generated worldwide per metric ton of the amount of waste that is sent to finished goods – a 33 percent reduction landfills by finding ways to recycle it from our baseline year of fiscal 2005. or use it for other purposes. More than That reduction was more than twice 80 percent of the solid waste generated the 15 percent goal set in fiscal 2005. by our plants is recycled or reused.
We continue to reduce our solid waste stream by improving efficiencies in our manufacturing operations to avoid
Solid waste generation rate Total solid waste generated 0.060 280
0.055 260
0.050 240
0.045 220
0.040 200 metric ton of product metric ton Metric tons of waste per of waste Metric tons 0.035 of metric tons Thousands 180
0.030 160 GOAL 0 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Fiscal Year Fiscal Year
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 64 Health
Communities Sustainability team delivers results in Belvidere Environment A recently established sustainability team at our facility in Belvidere, Ill., has made significant environmental improvements by systematically Albuquerque evaluating virtually every facet of its production processes. recycling program The result was significant environmental reuse them, it eliminated 200 tons of In addition, the plant trimmed its A new recycling – as well as cost – savings in several cardboard from the recycling stream. annual electricity use by 4.5 percent system was launched aspects of its operation. by upgrading equipment and by Likewise, by streamlining and improving in June 2010 at our installing more efficient light fixtures By developing a system for returning our cleaning processes, we saved Albuquerque, N.M., in several areas of the facility. corrugated cardboard – such as the large, an estimated 26 millions of gallons plant to increase pallet-like trays used to ship our cereals of water per year at the plant. recycling, reduce on trucks – to vendors so they could the amount of trash and with it, reduce our environmental footprint. The new recycling Park benches from recycled plastic system was successful At our San Adrian facility in Spain, we objects – such as park benches – from immediately. The found an innovative way to deal with the melted plastic. The plant is donating plant reduced its trash plastic that can’t be recycled through benches likes this one and garbage output from 32 tons to normal channels. Recyclable items are cans to local schools and parks. 12 tons per month. sent to a local firm that makes new
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 65 Health
Communities Building on a strong environmental foundation Environment General Mills has strong, global environmental standards, which are frequently more stringent than what is required under local law.
We work to minimize any potential from production operations; proper with environmental requirements, products are all focused on providing adverse impacts on the environment management of potentially hazardous conducts periodic regulatory our customers and consumers the associated with our operations. materials; minimization of solid and compliance audits, and regularly works best quality products while working hazardous waste generation; and to ensure proper management of to sustain the environment. We Our facilities are designed to address the prevention of spills or releases. ongoing environmental obligations. are proud of our record and are environmental requirements and committed to be environmental standards, including: reduction of General Mills develops internal standards Our use of raw materials, our leaders in the food industry. water and energy use; control of air and guidelines, consults on new manufacturing methods, our selection emissions and wastewater discharges capital projects to verify compliance of packaging and the distribution of our
Environmental management systems We operate in an environmentally responsible way and are committed to supporting environmental sustainability. We have established and implemented environmental management systems designed to identify, track and report on key environmental parameters for each manufacturing location. European plants recognized for environmental systems All of General Mills’ European a meaningful message to suppliers, The plants have worked on reducing plants have now earned the customers and consumers to be their carbon footprint by using environmental management “ISO able to claim that all of our European more efficient equipment, changing 14001 certification,” which means plants are ISO 14001 certified.” behaviors, and by adapting alternative they have met an internationally energy sources. These efforts have “This ensures our community, the public, recognized set of standards used resulted in significant cost savings. suppliers, media, customers, consumers, by organizations to improve their organizations and stakeholders that In San Adrian, Spain, for example, environmental performance. our sites and brands go above and the plant now receives 100 percent “ISO 14001 certification is recognized beyond regulations to protect the of its electricity from a provider that as one of the best environmental environment as much as possible,” says uses only renewable sources, such This windmill is near our facility in San Adrian, Spain. The plant gets 100 percent management systems,” says Alain Guy Lejeune, Europe’s engineering, as wind energy. And it has trimmed of its electricity from renewable sources. Zanetti, director of Innovation, environment, health and safety director. its water usage rate by 58 percent Technology and Quality in our and solid waste generate rate by The standards were developed International division, who also leads 67 percent over the past five years. by the International Organization Europe’s sustainability efforts. “It’s for Standardization.
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Communities
Environment Environmental audits General Mills performs comprehensive incorporate environmental management environmental compliance audits on a system assessments into our audits to Helping restore the Missouri River regular basis at all of our facilities. All provide environmental baselines and audit findings and recommendations recommendations for improvement. are then tracked to resolution. We also Working with the Montana Fish, Wildlife daily mill operations manager at and Parks Department, volunteers from our Great Falls mill. “The plants also our flour milling facility in Great Falls in serve as wildlife habitat for local 2010 launched a five-year restoration birds and other small mammals.” project along the Missouri River. The project is expected to take Wastewater management Our plant is less than a quarter five years to complete, and each We manage wastewater effluent in a where it is treated prior to release to the mile from the historic river of year our team of volunteers stands manner that does not adversely impact environment. These plants are subject Lewis and Clark fame. ready to continue native planting. the soil, water or air. We do not allow to permits or regulations that specify General Mills purchased a lot of the The Great Falls volunteer project is the discharge of any untreated sanitary the quality parameters of the effluent. supplies and plants for the project one of several such environmental wastewater onto land or into surface General Mills’ international locations – including silver buffalo berries, initiatives undertaken at our facilities waters at any of our locations, and we discharge wastewater in accordance chokecherries and snowberries. around the world. Completing such an environmental community service work with local authorities to comply with local and country standards that “We planted a lot of native plants project is one of the factors that is with wastewater treatment requirements. at a minimum meet, and sometimes in the area to secure the soil so it considered when General Mills evaluates are more stringent, than comparable doesn’t erode or wash away,” says Our North American manufacturing its individual facilities every year. requirements in the United States. Mark Zschoche, team leader and facilities typically discharge wastewater to publicly owned treatment works
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Communities
Environment Air emissions Our primary air emissions are related materials and ethanol are controlled to may vary by country. Most facility to energy use (carbon dioxide and low levels and conform to the applicable air pollution permits are included other products of combustion), permitted levels. In the United States, within site operating licenses. These particulate emissions from food air emissions are regulated by various licenses can restrict the amount of materials (cereal, flour, sugar, grain), government agencies that set regulatory particulate matter and combustion and some ethanol from flavorings or standards. Our plants adhere to local, byproducts that can be emitted. In the fermentation in dough products. state and federal emissions regulations. many areas, these permits also enforce site boundary standards for odor. The greenhouse gas emissions are Our facilities in other parts of the world reported as carbon dioxide equivalents are also governed by air pollution (see page 61). Our emissions of food regulations, although the approach
Ozone-depleting substances Some man-made chemicals used halons, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), uses of CFCs and HCFCs. International in refrigeration, air conditioning, fire hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) refrigeration needs are met with a suppression equipment and pest and methyl bromide. The company is combination of ammonia, CO2 and control can cause damage to the not adding any new ODS-containing HFC (hydrofluorocarbons) systems. earth’s protective ozone layer. equipment or chemicals and is phasing Methyl bromide is used as a fumigant out the existing ODS usages over time. Currently, in our North American by General Mills, mainly in our flour locations, approximately 90 percent General Mills maintains internal mills. Over the years, the company of our refrigeration needs are guidelines and programs to reduce the has implemented processes and met with ammonia, which does release of ozone-depleting substances. procedures such as heat treatment, not impact the ozone layer. Any existing systems that contain these improved cleaning procedures and chemicals are closely monitored. Our non-ODS alternatives to reduce Chemicals implicated as ozone international plants have eliminated all or replace methyl bromide. depleting substances (ODS) include
Managing hazardous materials General Mills regularly reviews the need sanitizers, refrigerants, pesticides and response plans, and implements for hazardous materials, and their use processing chemicals. Each General training and communication programs is monitored and controlled. Hazardous Mills facility that uses hazardous for employees and their community materials can include cleaners and materials conducts reviews, develops in case of an accidental release.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 68 Health
Communities Setting a sustainable packaging goal Environment We’ve established a 2015 goal to reduce the environmental footprint of the packaging used to protect and sell our products.
Across the company, we’re working to reduce our packaging to minimize our environmental footprint.
Our goal is that by 2015, 40 percent of our global product volume will be sold in packaging that has been Consumer Goods improved over the base year of fiscal 2009. Forum membership Four key indicators will be used to assess improvement: packaging weight, recycled content, renewable content, and truck loading efficiency. General Mills is a member of the Consumer Goods Forum, a global food industry group made Shrinking Nature Valley cartons up of 36 companies that is a In January 2010, our Nature Valley In the process, we’re saving an primary driver in efforts to develop granola bar cartons became smaller estimated 6.2 million pounds of more sustainable packaging. and thinner. We shrank the width of the paperboard per year. These cartons cartons by half an inch and the depth now use 13 percent less carton In 2010, the forum, which by a quarter inch – while maintaining material than the earlier design. includes companies such as the same size of the granola bars. Unilever, Kellogg, Campbell, Kraft, Wal-Mart, Tesco and Target, agreed to develop a common industry language for packaging and sustainability.
Lighter Pillsbury icing cups The goal of the forum is to In 2010, we began using a lighter The switch will save an estimated address the packaging of plastic in the icing cups for our Pillsbury 600,000 pounds of plastic per year. consumer goods and find a Grands! Sweet Rolls. common way to measure environmental and sustainability improvements leading to an accepted world standard.
The forum has also pledged to take action on a number of important global issues, including deforestation and sustainable refrigeration.
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Communities Logistics and transportation Environment General Mills has set a North American transportation goal to reduce the fuel used to ship a pound of product by 35 percent by fiscal 2015 (using fiscal 2009 as a baseline). We increased our European sea freight, Establishing this new goal will allow us freight shipping by 3 percent, saving to track the many ways we are working 300,000 road miles. That translates saving 22,000 gallons to reduce our environmental footprint. into a savings of 22,000 gallons of diesel fuel in fiscal (or 100,000 liters) of diesel fuel. In 2009, we rolled out a new computer- 2010. These gains are in based transportation system that more These gains are in addition to the addition to the 392,000 efficiently consolidates, schedules and 392,000 gallons (1.8 million liters) gallons of diesel fuel selects the best way to deliver General of diesel fuel saved in fiscal 2009 saved in fiscal 2009. Mills products from our production when we made the shift toward lines to our distribution facilities. using more sea freight shipping.
Since the system was launched in We’re also more efficiently consolidating 2009, we have saved approximately truck loads in Europe, which is leading 10 million gallons of fuel through to further fuel and cost savings. the end of fiscal 2010 – a 17 percent It’s because of the progress we are reduction over fiscal 2009. making on so many fronts in streamlining In Europe, we’re also becoming more our transportation systems that we set efficient by shipping more of our a North American goal of reducing our products by sea than over land. In fiscal fuel consumption rate (to ship a pound 2010, we increased our European sea of product) by 35 percent by 2015.
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Communities A growing number of LEED-certified buildings Environment Our new distribution facility in Social Circle, Ga., opened its doors in June 2010, becoming the largest LEED Gold “Industrial” building in the U.S. and the second-largest in the world. Swiss research facility earns The distribution center, located near n A white roof and concrete our Covington, Ga., plant, covers paving to reflect sunlight and LEED status the equivalent of 28 football fields reduce urban warming. and is more than a mile around the n Energy-efficient lighting that Our Cereal Partners Worldwide perimeter. It is certified as “gold” under shuts off when no one is (CPW) joint venture with Nestlé the LEED (Leadership in Energy and present and a ventilation system opened a new “green” research Environmental Design) standards. that trims electricity use. center in Orbe, Switzerland, in 2010 to accelerate the LEED is an internationally recognized Social Circle, Ga., distribution center n Water from the white roof and company’s cereal development. set of standards for environmentally paved areas is collected in retention The US$48 million R&D facility sustainable construction. ponds and used for irrigation. was tentatively certified as “gold” The energy efficient and environmental under the LEED (Leadership in n Low-flow plumbing fixtures that Energy and Environmental Design) features of our distribution facility include: reduce water use by about 50 percent. standards and is being considered for platinum certification. The center incorporates several Bassett Creek building achieves ‘LEED’ certification sustainable features, including:
The Bassett Creek building got a “green” Receiving certification for existing n Trimmed water use by 194,000 n Permeable paving on parking lots light from the U.S. Green Building Council buildings is more difficult than gallons by using water-saving to minimize storm water runoff. in 2010. The Minneapolis facility – next designing a new building because faucets and irrigation meter n Rain water collection for use door to our headquarters office – is existing processes and equipment monitoring systems. in toilets and irrigation. another General Mills building to receive often need to be retrofitted or replaced n Prevented 22 tons of solid waste n Water-efficient plumbing and environmentally friendly Leadership in to reduce environmental impact. from being dumped in landfills by energy-efficient light fixtures. Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) The one-year green results deploying multiple recycling stations n Extensive use of natural light certification, and the first of our buildings at Bassett Creek have been throughout the building and mounting to minimize electricity use. to receive it for an existing structure. significant. The building has: a recycling education campaign. “General Mills’ commitment to By creating several new programs environmental sustainability is n Reduced energy use by 30 percent n Prevented 100 gallons of to reduce energy and water use, cut compared to similar buildings by using hazardous cleaning chemicals clearly evident in every aspect commuting miles, trim solid waste of the new CPW Innovation more natural light and high-efficiency from entering the waste stream and reduce the use of hazardous Centre,” says James Tonjes, the heating, cooling and ventilation by adopting more environmentally cleaning chemicals, the building was General Mills engineering director equipment. The savings have friendly cleaning practices. able to attain LEED certification. who worked on the project. been enough to power 50 average American households for a year. General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 71 Health
Communities Building on sustainable best practices Environment General Mills has a long history of working closely with farmers to promote sustainable agriculture – whether through our organic Cascadian Farm brand, Green Giant vegetables or the many growers who provide us with various grains to make other products. Being green is easy for Green Giant Being green comes naturally if you But Green Giant’s green heritage runs are Green Giant, who has a century- far deeper than its ties to The Nature long commitment to sustainability. Conservancy. Throughout its century- long history, Green Giant has worked To commemorate the 40th anniversary to reduce its environmental footprint of Earth Day in 2010, Green Giant through many measures, including: contributed US$200,000 to The Nature Conservancy, a global conservation n Packing vegetables in smaller, lighter organization that works to protect cans, so it takes less fuel to deliver ecologically important lands and them to supermarket shelves. waters. The money is being used to n Using traditional seed breeding improve agricultural practices along methods over the last 35 years the Root River, an ecologically sensitive to double the amount of sweet watershed in southeastern Minnesota. corn grown on an acre of land. The bluff country is home to some of the n Switching to more earth-friendly best trout streams in the Upper Midwest. paperboard to package frozen Its unique geology – which features vegetables, saving approximately many sink holes that lead directly to 54,000 trees annually in the process. underground aquifers – requires special care to help ensure that surface water does not contaminate the groundwater.
The Nature Conservancy is working with area farmers – including some who grow vegetables for Green Giant – to develop the best ways to mitigate agricultural runoff. WATCH VIDEO
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Communities Irapuato drip irrigation Environment In 2008, our Agriculture Research department embarked on an ambitious strategy to cut in half the water used to grow broccoli and cauliflower in central Mexico. The strategy is important because agriculture consumes much of the world’s fresh water.
Ever since then, our agriculture To encourage farmers to adopt drip team has been working with local irrigation, we’ve been providing them growers to encourage them to adopt with interest-free loans to buy the drip irrigation, which uses about drip irrigation equipment. Each farmer 50 percent less water than the more can borrow up to US$200,000 from conventional furrow irrigation. our revolving loan fund. We hope to provide these loans for at least 10 years Drip irrigation allows water to drip with a goal of expanding these drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto irrigation acres by 5 percent per year. the soil surface or directly onto the Drip irrigation (left) uses about 50 percent less water than conventional furrow irrigation. root zone through a network of valves, For every 200 additional acres that use pipes and tubes. It also reduces the drip irrigation, an estimated 133 million use of pesticides and improves yields. gallons of water per year is saved.
Watch video on Häagen-Dazs and local sourcing Häagen-Dazs local sourcing Location was a top priority when the super-premium ice cream plant site was selected in Arras, France, about 20 years ago.
Located in bucolic northern France, results in fresher ingredients, reduced otherwise discarded woodchips our Häagen-Dazs plant is also in the shipping costs and a smaller carbon from the pruning of local forests. heart of the country’s dairy region footprint. Several of the plant’s suppliers n The leftover water from processing and close to all the suppliers it needs also use sustainable practices: sugar beets (which are 80 percent WATCH VIDEO to produce our premium ice cream. n Eighty percent of the fuel needed to water) flows into wildlife ponds The milk, cream, eggs, sugar and even power the boiler used by our supplier around our sugar supplier’s plant. packaging suppliers, are all local, which to produce milk and cream is from
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Communities Global sustainability efforts Environment ‘Think Global, Volunteer Local’ united employees Nearly 2,000 General Mills employees and retirees from around the world contributed their time in April 2010 as part of “Think Global, Volunteer Local,” a company-sponsored initiative celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and National Volunteer Week in the U.S.
During the weeklong volunteer event, employees took part in dozens of projects worldwide, including painting a Habitat for Humanity house in Minnesota, cleaning up tires from beaches in England, and promoting recycling in India.
A speed volunteering project at our Minneapolis headquarters office wrapped up the week. In three separate events, some 600 additional volunteers assembled more than 1,000 environmental learning kits to help children and parents learn about the environment together.
Think Global, Volunteer Local sent a strong signal that we all have a role to play in making the world a better place,” says Stéphanie Demay, International Consumer Relations manager, who coordinated the efforts of our European plants and offices. “The events touched everyone who participated, and we hope we can make next year’s effort even better.”
WATCH VIDEO
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Communities ‘Summer of Sustainability’ encourages behavior changes Environment For the second year in a row, several “Whether it’s drinking from reusable foods division that markets Cascadian General Mills locations participated in containers, to printing less, to biking, Farm, Muir Glen and Lärabar brands. “Summer of Sustainability” initiatives – a busing or carpooling to work, we’d like About 3,000 of our employees pledged summer-long series of events intended to everyone to stick with their pledges for to reduce their environmental impact. drive awareness of General Mills’ efforts the entire summer,” said Judy Dudziak to create a more sustainable company. in a message to employees. Dudziak is a Sustainability Task Force member and is Employees were encouraged to make the research and development director small changes in their behavior – with the for Small Planet Foods, our organic full support of General Mills leadership.
Cascadian Farm Earth Day message: ‘Live Green Together’ Earth Day and Cascadian Farm, a leading organic brand, are a hand-in-glove fit.
“Caring about the earth is something that This resulted in a US$20,000 Cascadian Farm has a long-standing is ingrained in our brand,” says Kwany donation to the Organic Farming relationship with the Organic Farming Lui, associate marketing manager for Research Foundation. Research Foundation, so supporting it for Cascadian Farm. “`Live Green Together’ Earth Day was a natural fit for the brand. The tips include installing a low-flow has been our year-round message.” toilet to save water, unplugging Cascadian Farm donated $1 to the electrical devices (such as cell phone Organic Farming Research Foundation chargers) when not using them for every person who pledged to follow a to save electricity, and planning few of the eight eco-friendly tips posted meals to save food (25 percent of on the Cascadian Farm Facebook page. prepared food is tossed out).
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Communities Nature Valley supports U.S. parks Environment Nature Valley donated about US$380,000 to the National Parks Conservation Association, including money raised through wrappers donated from specially marked packages, a Facebook campaign and the movie website Fandago.com. The money raised through the “Nature Valley National Parks Project” funded initiatives at three national parks: Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Biscayne in Florida.
The brand secured country music star Kenny Chesney to raise awareness about the environmental sustainability of the U.S. national parks.
“Teaming up with Nature Valley to raise awareness and funds is a great way to make sure the public realizes how special these parks are and that they can have a hand in keeping them available for generations to come,” Chesney said.
As a further demonstration of the brand’s commitment to environmental sustainability, Nature Valley reduced the size of its cartons in 2010. The smaller cartons resulted in a 13 percent reduction in carton material, which will save an estimated 6.2 million pounds of paperboard annually.
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Communities Red-tailed hawks make headquarters office home Environment Who knows why a family of red-tailed hawks made their home atop a pine tree right next to our headquarters office.
It could be that the General Mills Nature Preserve – a 19-acre tract of land the company donated to the city of Golden Valley in 2007 that is right across the street – is providing better habitat than ever.
But whatever the reason, employees of our headquarters campus enjoyed the spring and early summer of 2010 by having the opportunity to watch a pair of hawks raise two chicks all within range of an unblinking security camera. The hawks were a pleasant sight as they swooped about their business in full view of employees and guests.
Since they were successful in their 2010 nest- building, chances are good that the birds of prey will return in 2011 to start a new family on our campus. If they do, we’re considering installing a better video camera so images of the growing chicks could be shared broadly throughout the company.
WATCH VIDEO
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 77 Issues
General Mills works with a variety of stakeholders – both inside and outside our company – to develop our positions on several important topics. The following are among the topics that may be of interest to a more general audience.
Responsible palm oil sourcing state our support for a moratorium on the we can champion the production The FDA recently announced another of palm oil in an environmentally General Mills is committed to sourcing destruction of high-conservation value review of BPA. This study is expected to and socially responsible way. palm oil in a socially and environmentally forests and high-carbon value landscapes take 18 to 24 months, and Health Canada responsible way. We have publicly (i.e., peat lands) for expansion of palm and the World Health Organization BPA in can linings expressed our concern about the role of oil production – and pledge to never (WHO) will also participate. knowingly source palm oil produced palm oil expansion in the deforestation of At General Mills, product safety is always Food safety regulators make clear that the through such deforestation or destruction. the world’s rainforests and the release of our No. 1 concern. Bisphenol-A – or safety of food canning processes remains greenhouse gases from drained peat lands. We also outline a process to remove BPA – is an important component of paramount, and are not recommending protective coatings widely used in metal Land use for palm cultivation has suppliers that violate the Round Table on to manufacturers any specific changes Sustainable Palm Oil Production’s (RSPO) food packaging. It has long been used or actions in can lining applications in increased more than 40 percent in the last to help preserve food and maintain decade, and all too often this expansion stated policies involving destruction the interim, including those using BPA. of such vulnerable environments. its nutritional value, wholesomeness and resulting deforestation have negatively and quality. Most canned food and Can coatings used by General Mills impacted biodiversity, indigenous Hurdles remain in the palm industry, beverage products on the market today comply fully with all applicable FDA peoples and the global environment. and adequate supplies of sustainable use BPA in the can lining or can lid. requirements for safe use in food palm oil are not yet available. Still, this contact materials. However, we know To help ensure our purchases are not in Scientific and governmental bodies any way associated with deforestation issue will only become more pressing that some consumers would like us to as living standards – and therefore worldwide have examined the science and pursue alternatives – and we are working of the world’s rainforests – and to further concluded that the weight of evidence reinforce the development of certified demand for palm oil – rise. Used in intensively with our can suppliers and products ranging from lipstick to chips to continues to support the safety of BPA, can manufacturers to develop and sustainable palm oil production practices including comprehensive risk assessments – we released a Statement on Responsible biofuel, palm oil will soon overtake soy test linings that do not use BPA. as the world’s most consumed edible in Japan and in the European Union. Palm Oil Sourcing. It formalizes and While alternatives have not yet been oil, with China being the biggest buyer. strengthens our long-held position on In the fall of 2010, the European Food identified for all types of foods, we did principled purchasing, and adds our The release of a comprehensive palm Safety Authority (EFSA) again said identify a safe, viable alternative for our commitment to “strive to source 100 oil policy thrust General Mills to the there was no new evidence to suggest processing of tomatoes – and we began percent of our palm oil from responsible “front of the pack when it comes to the tolerable daily intake for BPA needs transitioning our Muir Glen tomato and sustainable sources by 2015.” American companies addressing palm oil,” to be changed, echoing the U.S. Food products to cans that do not utilize BPA and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Our statement lays out key elements according to Rainforest Action Network. with the fall 2010 tomato harvest. We hope that by taking a leadership statement in January 2010 that BPA of the company’s commitment to With other alternatives currently being position with peers and suppliers, was safe at current exposure levels. responsible sourcing of palm oil. We tested, we are optimistic that new options
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 78 will be identified in time. When viable Food security safe. The U.N. World Health Organization, of biotechnology in this crop would alternatives prove safe and effective and biotechnology the U.N. Food and Agriculture complicate the world’s wheat supplies for other products, we would expect Today, 925 million people – or one in Organization, the U.S. Food and Drug and undermine global wheat production. can suppliers and the food industry – in Administration and Health Canada have seven people globally – do not have It may be necessary for the food industry response to consumer interest – to uniformly and unanimously voiced the enough to eat, making hunger and and General Mills to revisit that position. convert to alternative coatings. same view, determining that approved malnutrition the No. 1 risk to health As a company that relies on wheat to worldwide, according to the World Food biotech crops are as safe and acceptable Moving to cage-free produce many important consumer foods Programme. The imperative for global as their conventional counterparts. eggs in Europe globally, we are increasingly concerned agriculture is to support and feed safely Earlier this year, the European Union about the declines in acreage committed We support the humane our increasingly hungry world, while (EU) approved the planting of a to wheat production around the world. treatment of animals, and we are sustaining the planet’s land, water and genetically modified crop for the first watching this issue closely. As a consumer-focused company, we resources for future generations. time in a decade. The EU also drafted feel very strongly about our mission In the U.S., where more than 90 percent legislation allowing a trace amount There are clearly inherent tensions of Nourishing Lives and about our of eggs come from caged hens, General of unapproved genetically modified in this challenge, but we continue role in safely and reliably feeding Mills does not purchase whole eggs. Egg material into imports of animal feed to to trust this mission can be met. an increasingly hungry world. ingredients used by the company are avoid a repeat of last year’s disruption primarily purchased in dry form, and are General Mills has long believed that to animal feed supplies in Europe. We still view consumer acceptance as pasteurized or heat-treated prior to receipt. biotechnology holds promise to alleviate a prerequisite before any introduction The drought in Eastern Europe that chronic hunger, as well as enhance of biotechnology in wheat. However, In Europe, where eggs from cage-free decimated this year’s Russian wheat sustainability, nutrition and taste, and we strongly support greater planting and free-range hens are becoming more crop underscores the need to consider prevent disease. However, we also and global production of wheat. available, Häagen Dazs has taken action. acknowledge that the success of this the future of wheat – one of the world’s most important food crops. Wheat By summer of 2011, Häagen-Dazs will technology depends on its ability to varieties could likely be developed to add source at least 50 percent of the egg achieve broad consumer acceptance resistance to drought, stress, pests and yolks used in its super-premium ice and support around the world. issues such as wheat rust. They could cream from free-range hens – birds that Ingredients improved through likely be bred to use less water and energy, have more space for natural behaviors, biotechnology have now been used and to produce higher yields as well. such as nesting, perching, and spreading for years with no evidence of ill- their wings, and are free to go outside. effects on human health – and recent However, unlike in corn and soybeans, such technology is not being used As we continue to develop additional developments suggest a moderating of in wheat production. The industry local sources of egg ingredients, Häagen- global attitudes toward biotechnology. view has been that, lacking broad Dazs will work toward using 100 percent We continue to agree that the already consumer acceptance, the introduction of eggs from free-range hens in 2013. approved applications of biotechnology are
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 79 Appendix: Company profile
Our brands are known around the world for quality, beginning with Gold Medal flour in 1880, which to this day remains the No. 1 selling retail flour in the United States. Several of our other brands also occupy the No. 1 or No. 2 market positions – from Pillsbury refrigerated dough to Green Giant frozen vegetables, and from Cheerios cereal to Betty Crocker dessert mixes.
We’re the sixth-largest food company Or Wanchai Ferry products in China in the world, marketing in more or the United Kingdom. Or a Nature global net sales US (US$16 billion) than 100 countries on six continents. Valley granola bar eaten on the run in Fiscal 2010 About half of our 33,000 employees Argentina or in about 60 other countries. work outside the United States. It’s Hamburger Helper with a side of U.S. Retail $10.3 billion In fiscal 2010, our global net sales were corn or green beans from Green Giant US$16 billion (including our proportionate for dinner in the United States. Or an share of joint ventures). We categorize Old El Paso Mexican meal in Australia, International $2.7 billion these sales into four business segments: Germany or Japan. And in many countries, U.S. Retail, International, Bakeries & a Pillsbury roll could be part of any meal. Bakeries & Foodservice $1.8 billion Foodservice, and Joint Ventures. For an after-dinner treat, it could be a Joint Ventures $1.2 billion Every day around the world, food made Betty Crocker cake or cookie in the United by General Mills is eaten for breakfast, States. Or Häagen-Dazs ice cream in lunch and dinner – and as a snack any number of countries, including Chile, sometime during the day or evening. Greece, Indonesia, Morocco and Russia.
It’s a bowl of Cheerios or a cup of Yoplait For more information on our company, yogurt for breakfast in the United States. see our General Mills Overview Or a bowl of Fibre One cereal in Canada brochure or visit GeneralMills.com. or Pillsbury frozen pancakes in Mexico.
It’s a sandwich with bread made from Gold Medal flour or a bowl of Progresso soup for lunch in the United States.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 80 Appendix: Company awards 100 Best Corporate Citizens 100 Top Companies for Training Annual Top Employers Corporate Responsibility Training magazine, 2010 Hall Equal Opportunity magazine, 2010 magazine, 2010- 2003 of Fame, 2009-2004 Top Companies of Diverse World’s Most Ethical Companies Top 50 Companies for Diversity MBA’s and Managers The Ethisphere Institute, DiversityInc, 2010, 2009, Diversity MBA magazine, 2010 2010, 2009, 2008 2008, 2007, 2005, 2004 100 Best Places to Work in IT 100 Best Companies to Work For Best in Leadership Development Computerworld magazine, 2010- 2002 Fortune, 2011, 2010, 2009, Leadership Excellence magazine, 2010 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004 Top 10 in Annual Reputation National Business Group on Health, World’s Most Admired Companies Quotient Survey 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 (formerly America’s Most Admired Harris Interactive, 2010-2002 Start! Fit-Friendly Company Companies) Fortune, 2010, 2009, 100 Best Companies American Heart Association, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 for Working Mothers 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 Top Workplaces Working Mother magazine, United Way Summit Awards Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2010 2010 Hall of Fame, 2009 – 1996 United Way of America, 2010, 2009, U.S. Reputation Pulse Study, 40 Best Companies for Diversity 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002 The Reputation Institute, 2010 Black Enterprise magazine, America’s 100 Best 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 100 Best Companies to Work For Adoption-Friendly Workplaces London Times (United Kingdom), Best Companies The Dave Thomas Foundation for 2010, 2009, 2008 for Multicultural Women Adoption, 2010, 2009, 2008 Working Mother magazine, 2010- 2004 United Kingdom’s 50 Best Workplaces The Financial Times, 2010, 2009, 2008 Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality Human Rights Campaign, Best Places to Work in Canada 2010, 2007, 2005 The Great Place to Work Institute, 2010 Top Companies for Executive Women Best Places to Work National Association for Female Glassdoor.com, 2010, 2009, 2008 Executives, 2010-2004 Top 20 Companies for Leadership 50 Best Companies for Latinas Bloomberg Businessweek.com, 2010 Latina Style magazine, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 81 Appendix: Workplace Safety and Environmental Protection policy
In the 1980s, General Mills first approved a comprehensive policy statement to provide a framework for our safety and environmental programs. This policy has evolved to reflect our businesses and the requirements that may affect them. This policy is published below.
Workplace Safety and Each business unit will implement a 3. Our Department of Health, Safety Environmental Protection safety and environmental management and Environment shall: (a) develop, corporate policy system based on the following areas: implement and administer effective safety and environmental programs, General Mills will operate in a manner n Commitment of management and (b) develop guidelines and programs that promotes a safe workplace and expectations for employees protection of the environment. The to assist in complying with government responsibility and accountability for n Involvement of all employees regulations, (c) review and audit safety and environmental programs, effective injury prevention and pollution n Goal setting and action planning prevention rests with each employee (d) advise the Company on and each business unit manager. n Checking and corrective action potential safety and environmental risks, including those involved n Technical and regulatory programs 1. Every business unit manager and with acquisitions and divestitures, each employee shall comply with n Safe and environmentally and (e) lead efforts toward all applicable laws, regulations sound practices continuous improvement in safety and Company standards n Effective training for all employees and environmental protection; in pertaining to workplace safety consultation with the Law Department and environmental protection. n Continuous improvement of and other appropriate personnel. our programs and standards 2. Our efforts are based on 4. Our Law Department shall work the following values: In the event of an incident, it must be with the business units and the thoroughly investigated to find the root n Injuries and pollution are preventable. Department of Health, Safety and causes and prevent recurrence. Business Environment to identify and manage n Nothing we do is worth getting injured units need to manage injuries to ensure risks associated with safety and or damaging the environment. that employees receive appropriate care environmental issues, and shall provide and return to useful employment as n Everyone is responsible for their own legal advice and guidance regarding safety and protecting the environment. soon as medically able. They must also safety and environmental laws. respond in a timely and effective manner to a spill or release to protect employees, the public and the environment.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 82 Appendix: Supplier Code of Conduct
General Mills holds itself to high ethical standards, and it expects the same from its Suppliers (suppliers and vendors).
Suppliers are expected to comply with Child Labor. Supplier will not employ Work Hours and Overtime. Supplier develop and implement appropriate all local and national laws, regulations, child labor, consistent with the principles will set work schedules and overtime internal business processes to ensure rules and requirements with respect contained in the International Labour policies consistent with local and compliance with this Code of Conduct. to all products and services that they Organization’s 1998 Declaration on national law. Suppliers will abide by General Mills utilizes independent third manufacture, distribute or otherwise Fundamental Principles and Rights maximum hour and workweek laws. parties to assess Supplier compliance provide to General Mills. If local at Work, in supplying products Health and Safety. Supplier will with this Code of Conduct. These or national law does not provide or services to General Mills. provide workers with a safe, clean assessments generally include protections satisfactory to General Abuse of Labor. Supplier will not and healthy work environment. confidential interviews with employees Mills, we reserve the right to require physically abuse employees. and on-site contract workers. Supplier Suppliers to meet higher standards. Environment. Supplier will comply with agrees to permit such inspections and to General Mills expects Suppliers will Freedom of Association and all applicable environmental laws. make employees and contract workers act ethically and in accordance with Collective Bargaining. Supplier will Anti-Corruption. Supplier will comply available to third-party auditors and not to applicable laws in the following areas. respect the principles of freedom of with the United States Foreign Corrupt discriminate or retaliate against workers association and collective bargaining. Food Safety. Food Supplier will Practices Act and all applicable laws for their comments to the auditors. supply food products or ingredients Discrimination and Harassment. related to anti-corruption and bribery. If a Supplier fails to comply with any to General Mills that are safe for Supplier must not permit Compliance. Supplier must demonstrate aspect of this Code of Conduct, it is human consumption, pure, wholesome, unlawful discrimination or compliance with this Code of Conduct expected to implement corrective unadulterated and in compliance with harassment of its employees. upon General Mills’ request. actions. General Mills reserves the all applicable local and national laws. Wages and Benefits. Supplier right to terminate any agreement with This Code of Conduct is based in part on Forced Labor. Supplier will not use will provide workers with pay and any Supplier that cannot demonstrate the principles outlined in the International forced or involuntary labor, whether benefits as required by law, including compliance with this Code of Conduct. Labour Organization’s 1998 Declaration bonded, prison, military, compulsory or compliance with minimum wage on Fundamental Principles and Rights indentured labor, including debt servitude. and overtime requirements and will at Work. We expect all suppliers to pay employees in a timely fashion.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 83 Appendix: Acknowledgements This report was produced with the help of Grain; Investor Relations; Law; Packaging; both internal and external contributors. Quality Control; R&D; Supply Chain Operations; and Worldwide Sourcing. Internal partners include the following groups: Applied Sustainability Team; We would also like to recognize the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition; valuable input provided through our Community Action; Corporate membership with Ceres, a coalition of Communications; Diversity and investors, environmental organizations Inclusion; Engineering; Global and other public interest groups that Health Services; Global Safety and work with companies to advance their Environment; Government Relations; environmental and social performance.
General Mills Corporate Social Responsibility 84