How Mondelēz Is Sowing Regenerative Farming Into European Wheat Production

Mondelēz International has actually revealed the next phase of its third-party confirmed European wheat sustainability program: Harmony Ambition 2030.

Now in its 15^th year, today the Harmony program teams up with 1,360 farmers throughout 7 European nations. Its most current version integrates regenerative farming practices, and by 2030, the business desires 100% of the wheat volume required for production of its European biscuits– including its belVita, Milka, LU, Oro and Opavia brand names– grown according to these practices.

In Europe, no main meaning of the term ‘regenerative farming’ exists. In its lack, Mondelēz specifies regenerative farming as a holistic technique to farming which intends to produce high quality crops, while likewise bring back the natural rhythm of the environment.

This includes not just reconstructing soil health and fertility, and carbon sequestration, however likewise reversing biodiversity losses.

For Mondelēz, regenerative farming likewise suggests cultivating the financial wellness of its farming neighborhoods, discussed Marie Ellul-Karamanian, Harmony Program Lead at Mondelēz. ” It’s crucial our farmers are entirely ingrained and supporting because shift to regenerative farming.”

So what does Mondelēz’s method to regenerative farming appear like on the ground?

As is stands, no main meaning of ‘regenerative farming’ exists in Europe. Mondelēz International would be helpful of establishing a meaning at the EU level.

” We are certainly encouraging of establishing a meaning of ‘regenerative farming’, and even of ‘sustainable farming’ in basic, in Europe,” stated Marie Ellul-Karamanian, Harmony Program Lead at Mondelēz.

” We would enjoy to add to constructing the meaning for the future, due to the fact that it would assist to produce an equivalent playing field throughout the market. It would likewise assist to drive additional ecological effect … all of us have a function to play.”

From cover crops to melliferous fallows

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Centre to Mondelēz’s regenerative farming program is the restoring of soil health and increases in carbon sequestration. Consistency Ambition 30 needs not just that its farming neighborhoods diversify crop rotation, however that vegetables be consisted of because crop rotation.

” The primary source of greenhouse gas emissions in farming is fertilization, and vegetables assist to optimise fertiliser,” Ellul-Karamanian informed FoodNavigator. Legumes records and metabolises nitrogen from the environment, prior to releases it into the soil. This implies that fertilizer usage can be optimised, and eventually, that less mineral fertilizers are needed.

The usage of cover crops– grown to cover the soil, instead of for the function of being collected– are likewise a non-negotiable according to the brand-new Harmony Program chapter. ” We understand that covering the soil assists to keep the carbon in the ground. It’s likewise the very best for soil fertility.”

MDLZ_HARMONY_MELLIFEROUS_FLOWERS[1] — Farmers are needed to commit 3% of their land to melliferous fallows under Harmony Ambition2030 Image source: Mondelēz International

As to reversing biodiversity losses, the business is prohibiting making use of issue pesticides, especially glyphosate and neonicotinoids. The herbicide glyphosate can be hazardous to birds, crucial bugs, and soil organisms that serve to keep eco-friendly balance, we were informed, whereas neonicotinoids can hurt pollinators.

Mondelēz is likewise needing farmers to commit 3% of their land to melliferous fallows committed to biodiversity. The Harmony Program lead explained the effort as a ‘strong relocation’– not always in France where this practice is under method among Mondelēz’s farming neighborhoods– however in other European nations where Mondelēz wheat is grown. The business sources wheat from Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Poland, Italy, and Spain.

Mondelēz picks the range of flowers for these fallows based upon the food source of regional pollinators. The complete 3% need not be found on efficient land, however the majority of would be, we were informed. ” It’s a financial investment for them which is why we are paying a premium to them in order to spend for the truth that they would be losing a little production [land]” In the long term, the business wants to show the sustainability advantages, varying from soil health to increased biodiversity, to its farmers.

Helping farmers shift to regenerative ag practices

Supporting farmers in the shift to regenerative farming is likewise a crucial element of the Harmony Program, and it begins with paying a premium per lots of wheat grown in recognition that a few of the farming practices put in location are more requiring than that needed by the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Going an action even more, Mondelēz is likewise supplying a ‘holistic toolkit’ to farmers. ” Having financial backing is crucial, it’s vital, however we require to do more to encourage farmers to continue with us to do regenerative farming,” reasoned Ellul-Karamanian.

In reaction, the business is developing the Harmony Academy to supply digital and on-the-ground training. Discussion and discussion in between farmers will be motivated, to display the favorable effect such practices have on yield and margins. Digital tools, under what Mondelēz is creating Harmony Digital, will assist farmers tape their practices, compute ecological KPIs and enhance the effectiveness of reporting.

KV_background_zoomed — ‘ Bee hotels’ handcrafted in France and built with environmental products will be set up on and near wheat fields. Image source: Mondelēz International

This brand-new chapter of Mondelēz’s Harmony Program is currently under method in France. The business prepares to gain from the application of these practices this year, prior to rolling it out into other European nations.

‘ We wish to be understood for securing bees’

The treats and confectionery significant is interacting its efforts in regenerative farming to customers in a variety of methods, from digital to television through to on-pack interactions.

On-pack, the business is concentrating on 4 essential pillars of the Harmony Program: wheat quality, regional growing, sustainable production, and farmer engagement.

Mondelēz has strategies to increase interaction in regards to storytelling– something that customers have actually revealed increased interest in, we were informed.” They wish to contribute with us in regards to sustainability and biodiversity defense particularly.”

Before the summer season, 4 biscuit brand names– Mondelēz’s Fontaneda in Spain, Oro in Italy, Opavia in Czech Republic, and LU in France– will initiate a project developed to include customers in its bee security efforts.

” Bees are accountable for a great deal of the pollination of crop food worldwide. Today, bees are threatened due to the fact that they do not have food sources and suffer from the damage of their environment. We are ‘double clicking’ on the damage of their environments … and constructing ‘5-star bee hotels’ in the melliferous fallows of our Harmony fields.”

The ‘bee hotels’ are handcrafted in France and built with eco-friendly products. At around 1.5 m in size and weighing around 55 kg, the bee homes consist of 6,000 holes to bring in various kinds of pollinators.

A portion of biscuit sales will add to the building of these ‘bee hotels’, which will bring the customer on the sustainability journey, discussed the Harmony Program lead.

” We wish to end up being well-known for securing bees … [The project] is a brand-new method to include customers. We wish to make certain they add to the journey we’re associated with.

” We desire it to drive ecological effect … and for our customers to assist– with our biscuit brand names– on this sustainability journey.”