General Mills has joined forces with farmers in Kansas as part of a three-year programme to advance the adoption of regenerative agriculture.

The initiative is comprised of 24 wheat growers in and around the 650,000-acre Cheney Reservoir watershed, which provides water to more than 400,000 Wichita residents.

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic method of farming, deploying practices designed to protect and enhance natural resources and farming communities. These practices focus on pulling carbon from the air and storing it in the soil in addition to helping the land be more resilient to extreme weather events.

Additionally, regenerative agriculture practices help to increase water infiltration and reduce soil erosion.

According to General Mills, these benefits can translate to farmers’ pocketbooks by ensuring that more nutrients stay in the field to be absorbed by plants rather than washed or blown away through soil erosion.

“This pilot is an important step in our commitment to advance regenerative practices on 1 million acres of farmland by 2030, but more so supports our belief that these practices can have long-term positive impact on farmer profitability, soil health, water quality and biodiversity,” said Mary Jane Melendez, chief sustainability and social impact officer at General Mills.

“We’re energised to be working alongside committed organisations like the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Understanding Ag to help us embark on this important work.”

The announcement builds on General Mills’ commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 28% by 2025.

Last year, the company launched a Regenerative Oat Pilot consisting of 45 farmers across North Dakota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba representing more than 50,000 acres of farmland.