Kellogg 's InGrained, a five-year partnership with Lower Mississippi River Basin rice farmers to help reduce their climate impact, is reporting early positive results.

 During the pilot year of the program, InGrained helped farmers implement climate-smart irrigation practices that achieved a reduction of more than 1,600 metric tons of greenhouse gases - the equivalent of taking more than 345 gasoline-powered cars off the road for one year.

Kellogg piloted the program in Northeast Louisiana in collaboration with leading agricultural greenhouse gas measurement firm Regrow Ag, rice producers, Kellogg supplier Kennedy Rice Mill LLC and agribusiness firm Syngenta.

Rice production emits several greenhouse gases, most significantly, methane. Methane contributes approximately 1.5 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions and is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

“Not only are we helping farmers implement new practices on their farms, but farmers are telling us that just as importantly, the quality of their rice was not affected by the adjusted irrigation practices," said Stacey Shaw, Syngenta's Senior Sustainability Lead.

Much of the rice sourced from the Louisiana River Basin is used in iconic foods like Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal and Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats. “Kellogg's Better Days environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy is committed to supporting 1 million farmers and reducing Scope 3 GHG emissions across our value chain by 15 percent by the end of 2030,” said Janelle Meyers, Kellogg Company's Chief Sustainability Officer. “Programs like Kellogg's InGrained™ contribute to this ambitious goal, create positive impacts on the planet and support the livelihoods of farmers who grow the rice for some of our most iconic foods.”

Kellogg and its InGrained partners are making adjustments as they transition into the second year of the program, while ensuring both financial and technical support continue to help farmers with these new practices. Kellogg is also exploring expanding the program to include various regions with different weather patterns and soil types to determine if similar positive impacts are found.