Mondelez International, Inc. in 2024 in North America invested in regenerative agricultural practices for wheat farmers, including those in the Mondelez Michigan Wheat Project, while a Harmony Wheat program in Europe focused on sustainable agriculture, too, according to the Snacking Made Right report released by the company April 15.
The Mondelez Michigan Wheat Project provides advice to farmers on regenerative agricultural practices designed to increase wheat yields, improve soil health or reduce carbon emissions. The project provides each farm with individualized reports that track year-over-year performances, as well as benchmarks against peer farms. Farmers in the Cooperative Elevator Co., a 100-year-old cooperative in Michigan, grow and harvest whole grain wheat for Triscuit crackers.
Over the past eight years, more than 100 growers have shared data on their farming practices with the project. Since 2020, they have used Field to Market’s Fieldprint Platform, an agriculture analytical tool, to find opportunities to optimize agricultural practices. The collected data have helped to establish baselines with regards to wheat yields and farming inputs such as fertilizer.
In Europe, the Harmony Wheat program had a goal of growing 100% of the wheat volume needed for producing Mondelez biscuits for its European business under a Harmony Regenerative Chart. The percentage rose to 91% in 2021, 98% in 2022, 99% in 2023 and 100% in 2024. By the end of 2024, the land exceeded 59,000 hectares (145, 800 acres) and was home to an estimated 24 million bees and 30 butterfly species.
The program promotes practices that improve soil health, reduce carbon emissions, protect biodiversity, advance regenerative agriculture practices and preserve water. The approach includes calculating and monitoring a set of economic and agro-environmental performance indicators such as nitrogen use efficiency, GHG emissions and pesticide use.
A Harmony charter features 20 mandatory practices plus 17 best practices. Certified third-party organizations, including SGS and Bureau Veritas, conduct annual verifications. About l0% of partner farmers are audited every year with over 285 audits performed in 2024.
Mondelez seeks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Harmony wheat fields and provides farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture with a package of digital and on-the-ground training through a Harmony Academy platform.
Over 1,000 farmers in Belgium, Czechia, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Spain belong to the Harmony Wheat program. Mondelez brands involved in the Harmony Wheat program include LU, belVita, Barni, Liga, Opavia, Prince, Oro, Mikado, Belin, Fontenda, San, Granola Milka.