General Mills Provides Funds for Healthy Soil Initiative

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Global food giant General Mills is providing financial support to University of Minnesota's Forever Green Initiative that grows crops, promoting soil development.

General Mills has invested in renewable energy and pollinator protection according to reports. The company has put $3 million into soil health in the last couple of years. That represents just 1 percent of the company's overall corporate giving.

Agribusiness and food industry leaders say that healthy soil can help with issues stemming from climate change.

Healthy soil can absorb and hold water rather than let it run off the land. It can also reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizer, which cost money and can increase a crop's carbon footprint.