28% of General Mills Shareholders Vote in Support of Pesticide Disclosure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Ryon Harms, [email protected], (310) 730-9407
EL CERRITO, CALIFORNIA—OCTOBER 6, 2025— General Mills released voting results from its 2025 Annual General meeting showing significant support for a proposal filed by shareholder representatives As You Sow and Mercy Investment Services. Twenty-eight percent of shareholders voted for the company to disclose pesticide use reductions achieved through its highly touted regenerative agriculture program.
General Mills advertises that it invests millions of dollars in its regenerative agriculture program, but fails to report measures of success related to that investment including building healthy soils, reducing harmful pollution, improving worker and farmer health, and building greater food system resilience. Pesticide reduction is a key component of achieving each of these goals.
“For the second consecutive year, nearly one third of General Mills' shareholders are demanding reporting on this key measure of success,” said Cailin Dendas, Senior Environmental Health Coordinator at As You Sow. “Substantial pesticide use conflicts with the ecological, social, and economic rationale for regenerative agriculture. To remain credible with both investors and consumers, companies must show meaningful reductions as part of their regenerative transition.”
This information is readily available. Farmers are required by law to track and record restricted-use pesticides and most now maintain extensive records of pesticide use to ensure efficiency.
“We are encouraged by the vote of 28% support for the shareholder proposal,” said Caroline Boden, director of shareholder advocacy at Mercy Investment Services. “It signals that shareholders acknowledge the risks associated with General Mills’ lack of transparency on pesticide use in the company’s supply chains. The use of pesticides and other synthetic inputs is a critical component of regenerative agriculture practices. Without disclosure of reduction efforts, it raises questions about greenwashing and exposes General Mills and its shareholders to potentially significant reputational risk.”
Dendas added: “Consumer demand continues to shift toward healthier products and environmentally responsible supply chains. Companies that can credibly show pesticide reductions are better positioned to capture market share, maintain brand trust, and avoid costly litigation or regulatory penalties.”
General Mills’ competitors continue to demonstrate transparency and mitigate risk by publicly reporting quantitative outcomes of pesticide reduction practices. For instance,
Conagra reports that its farm management practices, including regenerative agriculture, avoided 145,000 gallons of soil fumigants and 8,700 gallons of post-emergence herbicides.
Lamb Weston tracks uses of active ingredient pesticides per ton of crops harvested, disclosing progress toward its 2030 pesticide reduction goal.
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As You Sow is the nation's leading shareholder representative, with a 30-year track record promoting environmental and social corporate responsibility and advancing values-aligned investing. Its issue areas include climate change, ocean plastics, toxins in the food system, biodiversity, racial justice, and workplace diversity. Click here to view As You Sow's shareholder resolution tracker.
Mercy Investment Services serves as a catalyst for social change through socially responsible investing on behalf of the Sisters of Mercy and other Catholic and faith-based organizations.