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General Mills is quadrupling its use of Kernza® perennial grain. By incorporating one percent Kernza into four top-selling Cascadian Farm flake cereals, General Mills is supporting U.S. farmers growing the perennial grain.
General Mills has been researching Kernza since 2014 in partnership with The Land Institute and the University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Initiative, and Cascadian Farm began incorporating Kernza into its products in 2019.
To learn more about how General Mills is supporting farmers growing Kernza watch a video here.
The featured ingredient, Kernza perennial grain, is both tasty and exceptionally sustainable. Unlike annual grains that require replanting each year, Kernza grows back year after year.
Key benefits of Kernza include:
“Perennial Percent™ is an exciting way to make food products more sustainable,” explains Jen Mayer, Director of Crop Stewardship at The Land Institute. “By including just a small amount of these tasty, new perennial grains in popular foods, we can expand the market. This lets consumers make a positive impact on the environment, right in the grocery aisle.”
This effort builds momentum for The Land Institute’s Perennial Percent™ Program, the world’s first and only program for perennial grain products. The program, which encourages food and beverage makers to incorporate perennial grains into their offerings, was initially spearheaded by Bang Brewing, a brewery in St. Paul, Minnesota, and later supported by food producers like Sturdiwheat. The Perennial Percent™ Program differentiates products in the marketplace and empowers consumers to improve soil health and water quality through their purchasing choices.
