Mondelēz embeds “regenerative agriculture” to upscale sustainable wheat

13 Feb 2023 --- Mondelēz International is expanding and accelerating Harmony, its wheat sustainability program. The new stage, Harmony 2030, will embed regenerative agriculture across several of the company’s key categories, specifically environment, farmers and consumers. 

The Harmony program, created in 2008 with a small number of farmers, now collaborates with 1,360 farmers across seven European countries. Harmony 2030 will work with these farmers to reduce greenhouse gases by implementing “a strengthened charter of farming practices.”

Such practices include diversification of crop rotation, including legumes to optimize fertilizer use, a leading source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during wheat farming.

To further support farmers as they transition to a regenerative agriculture model, Mondelēz will create the Harmony Academy, which will provide farmers with a holistic package of digital and on-the-ground training. 

The company will also equip farmers with digital tools to help them record farming practices, calculate environmental impact KPIs and improve reporting efficiency.

The company is accelerating Harmony, its sustainable wheat production program.Working with local farmers
With these practices in place, Mondelēz’s goal is to grow 100% of the wheat volume needed for its European biscuits production under the expanded Harmony Regenerative Charter by 2030.

“We kick-started Harmony Ambition 2030 last year with a Test and Learn model in France, with partner farmers having sown Harmony wheat under our new Regenerative Charter for harvest in 2023,” says Marie Ellul-Karamanian, Harmony Program lead. 

“We are excited to take the learnings from this pilot and apply them to a wider European roll-out over the next few years.” 

“Harmony Ambition 2030 is a key part of our sustainability strategy,” says Peter Seymour, senior VP of marketing & strategy in Europe. 

“We are working with local farmers and partners across Europe to help create a world where the wheat for our biscuits is grown in thriving and biodiverse environments. All this is part of our long-term business growth ambition and mission to offer consumers the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way.”

Mondelēz making strides
This announcement comes during a wave of acceleration for the company, which recently released its full-year 2022 results, showing growth in volume and revenue across markets. 

The company focused on its chocolate and biscuit brands as the resilience of snacking outgrew inflation troubles.

“We made significant progress against our strategy of accelerating growth and focusing our portfolio in the attractive, resilient categories of chocolate, biscuits and baked snacks while continuing to invest in our brands and capabilities,” said Dirk Van de Put, CEO of Mondelēz International, at the time.

By James Davies