Global Responsibility 2015 Health & Wellness Sourcing Environment Workplace Community Table of contents 1 Chairman’s letter 2 INTRODUCTION 12 HEALTH & WELLNESS 40 SOURCING 70 ENVIRONMENT 13 Overview 41 Overview 71 Overview 14 Our approach: invest and innovate 42 Our approach: assess and transform 72 Our approach: measure and reduce 17 Our strategies and actions 43 Our strategies and actions 74 Our strategies and actions 17 Provide quality nutrition and wellness 44 Increase sustainability of ingredients 74 Increase sustainability of ingredients 32 Champion global food safety 63 Collaborate to improve global 75 Improve environmental performance 36 Educate consumers water stewardship of our operations and beyond 66 Advance socially responsible supply chains 86 WORKPLACE 106 COMMUNITY 120 APPENDIX 87 Overview 107 Overview 120 Environmental data summary 88 Our approach: inspire and win 108 Our approach: connect and lead 121 Commitments 89 Our strategies and actions 109 Our strategies and actions 127 Global Reporting Initiative index 89 Maintain a safe workplace 109 Alleviate hunger and advance 139 United Nations Global Compact index 94 Build a strong workplace culture nutrition wellness 99 Respect, develop and invest in employees 114 Improve education 116 Strengthen communities ©2015 General Mills. To our stakeholders: At General Mills, our goal is to stand are helping to improve the sustainability Through collaboration with businesses, among the world’s most responsible food of food supply chains. At General Mills, governments and nongovernmental companies. We are committed to creating we are making great strides toward our organizations, we work to advance economic, social and environmental commitment to sustainably source 100 systemic improvements in the areas value around the world as we pursue percent of our 10 priority ingredients by of health, sustainable agriculture and our mission of Nourishing Lives. 2020 – representing more than 50 percent community investment. We collaborate of our annual raw material purchases. with external partners and are signatories As a key step to enhance our global Through our sustainable sourcing work, to a number of key global efforts, such responsibility strategy and to promote we are advancing sustainable agriculture as the United Nations Global Compact, transparency, we conducted a and strengthening responsible practices. which we continue to endorse. We materiality assessment in 2013. This are encouraged by the progress we’re assessment included input from both Our focus on health and wellness extends making and remain committed to our internal and external stakeholders beyond the people who make and consume pursuit of continuous improvement. regarding the most relevant economic, our food. Through our consumer education social and environmental issues to and philanthropic efforts, we promote In this, our 45th year of reporting back to Ken Powell our business. We identify and address healthy lifestyles that balance consumption our communities and stakeholders, we Chairman, Chief Executive Officer these issues throughout this report. and activity. Our work to alleviate hunger provide updates across five key focus and improve nutrition includes our areas in this report: Health and Wellness, General Mills Meeting diverse consumer needs is one of support of Partners in Food Solutions, Sourcing, Environment, Workplace and our priority issues. Increasingly, consumers a nonprofit organization we founded Community. We have focused on providing worldwide are interested in the connection to help raise living standards, address transparency and insights into the topics between food, health and wellness. General chronic food supply issues and respond that are important to our stakeholders Mills puts consumers first by delivering a to extreme hunger in sub-Saharan Africa. and to our business. Our continued broad range of products that meet varying progress in these areas helps move us consumer needs and preferences. One Leading with safety – both the safety toward our goal of being one of the most example is the growing demand for organic of our employees in the workplace and sustainable food companies on the planet. and limited-ingredient products. Today, the food they make – is one of the key General Mills is the fourth-largest natural operating principles that guides our Thank you for your interest. As always, we and organic food producer in the U.S. work. At our facilities around the world, welcome your questions and comments. we are committed to food safety and Our customers, partners, consumers Sincerely, strictly adhering to the processes and and other stakeholders also want to standards we have pioneered and led know more about where and how the since our founding. One hundred percent ingredients in our foods are grown and of our facilities are audited using globally processed. As the global food business recognized food safety criteria. We balances increased demand with the need also share our best practices across the G4-1, 15 WATCH VIDEO to conserve natural resources, efforts industry, including training suppliers to aimed at transparency and traceability meet international food safety standards. GENERAL MILLS GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY 01 INTRODUCTION General Mills has been fulfilling our mission of Nourishing Lives – making lives healthier, easier and richer – for 148 years. Our values Everything we do reflects our strong core values, and we live these values every day around the world. Play to win Jogar para ganhar 战而必胜 Participer pour gagner Actuar para ganar Grow and inspire Crescer e inspirar 成长与激励 Grandir et inspirer Crecer e inspirar Act boldly, Agir com ousadia 大胆实践、快速行动 Faire preuve d’audace, Actuar con audacia, move quickly e rapidamente agir rapidement moverse rápido Win as a team Ganhar como equipe 众志成城，团队致胜 Gagner en équipe Ganar como equipo Do the right thing, Fazer o que é certo, 始终做正确的事 Toujours prendre Hacer lo correcto, all the time o tempo todo une décision juste en todo momento GENERAL MILLS GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY 02 Company overview General Mills at a glance Fiscal 2014 General Mills aims to be one of 3% 12% GLOBAL NET3 %SALES: 22$17.9% billion* the world’s most responsible food 12% 22% 3% 14% 12% 14% 22% U.S. RETAIL companies. We are committed to our Net sales by division 17% 14% 17% mission of Nourishing Lives and putting 15% $10.6 billion 15% 17% consumers first everywhere, every day. 17% 17% 2 2 % Big G 15% 17% Baking Products 17% 17% Snacks We produce and market more than 15% Frozen Foods 14% Meals 100 consumer brands in over 100 12% Yoplait 3% Small Planet Foods 18% countries on six continents. 18% INTERNATIONAL 41% Net sales by region 18% 41% 19% $5.4 billion 19% 41% 41% Europe* 19% 2 2 % Canada 22% 22% 19% Latin America 18% Asia/Pacific** *Includes Australia and New Zealand 22% **Includes the Middle East and Africa 14% 14% CONVENIENCE STORES AND FOODSERVICE 14% Net sales by brand type 31% 55% $1.9 billion 31% 55% 55% Branded to foodservice 31% 55% operators 31% Branded to consumers For additional overview information, see our value chain graphic, map 14% Unbranded of key brands, map of production sites and key sourcing geographies. *Consolidated net sales, excludes joint ventures. G4-4 15% GENERAL MILLS GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY 03 15% 15% 85% 85% 85% Highlights in fiscal 2014 10x20 850+ $151 68% 84% progress on our products nutritionally of packaging of U.S. employees commitment to improved since we million+ volume improved said General Mills sustainably source implemented our U.S. given to charitable since 2009. is a great place 100 percent of our Health Metric in 2005. causes in fiscal 2014 – to work. 10 priority ingredients General Mills and its by 2020. Foundation have given more than $1.5 billion since 1954 (US$). 50 million 87% 100% 17% $543 meals provided of all solid waste of General Mills reduction in global through global food from our North facilities audited using total injury rate million donations since 2013. American operations globally recognized at General Mills spending in fiscal 2014 is reused or recycled. food safety criteria. production facilities. with qualified, diverse suppliers (US$). GENERAL MILLS GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY 04 Oversight The General Mills leadership team has Board of Directors Public Responsibility SUSTAINABILITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ultimate accountability for the company’s Committee provides oversight and receives GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CEO, CHAIRMAN PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BOARD global responsibility programs and regular updates from the operating teams. CEO COMMITTEE CFO performance. The team includes Ken The Chief Executive Officer also SVP, EXTERNAL RELATIONS Powell, Chairman and Chief Executive EVP, INNOVATION, convenes the Sustainability Governance TECHNOLOGY & QUALITY Officer; Kim Nelson, Senior Vice President EVP, U.S. RETAIL Committee three times per year. The of External Relations and President of SVP, SALES role of the Committee is to approve EVP, INTERNATIONAL the General Mills Foundation; Jerry EVP, SUPPLY SVP, EXTERNAL EVP, INNOVATION, SVP, HUMAN and monitor strategy, policy and key EVP, SUPPLY CHAIN CHAIN RELATIONS TECHNOLOGY & QUALITY RESOURCES Lynch, Chief Sustainability Officer; and investments related to sustainability. John Church, Executive Vice President of Supply Chain. The team meets regularly See GeneralMills.com/Investors to GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY SUSTAINABILITY GENERAL MILLS HEALTH & NUTRITION WORKPLACE and receives input from internal and learn more about the company’s FOCUS AREAS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE