Ahold Delhaize USA, a leading grocery retail group and owner of popular brands including Giant Food, Stop & Shop and Food Lion, has announced a strategic partnership with global snacking giant Kellanova (formerly Kellogg Company) and North American agribusiness Bartlett. The new pilot program they are launching this summer will reduce Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the wheat farming value chain, enhancing sustainability and resilience from farm to shelf.
Financial backing from the partnership will support the transition towards more sustainable farming methods amongst wheat farms in North Carolina. The wheat produced from these regenerative farms will be used, in combination with conventionally grown wheat, to manufacture Kellanova's popular Cheez-It and Club crackers and available at the Ahold Delhaize USA owned stores next year.
“The companies of Ahold Delhaize USA are committed to offering more sustainable food products as we strive to create a healthier planet. An important step in this journey is reducing Scope 3 carbon emissions, which requires partnerships like this one with Kellanova and Bartlett. We’re excited to be a part of this collaboration as we focus on our Scope 3 commitments,” said JJ Fleeman, CEO, Ahold Delhaize USA.
This innovative program is a first for Ahold Delhaize USA and Kellanova. It brings together key stakeholders across the entire supply chain—from field to mill to production facility and retail shelf—to enhance U.S. farmers' livelihoods while reducing GHG emissions.
Carrie Sander, Chief Customer Officer – North America, Kellanova, said “We believe in the power of partnership and are excited to collaborate with Ahold Delhaize USA and Bartlett to help potentially improve outcomes for wheat farmers. This innovative program helps us simultaneously work toward both these goals.”
In this North Carolina-based pilot, regenerative wheat farming will be a collaborative effort with several key phases. Bartlett’s certified crop advisors will guide farmers in Eastern North Carolina, aiding them in applying soil-enhancing conservation practices. Post-harvest, Bartlett will combine the regenerative wheat with conventionally grown wheat and mill it into flour at its Wilson’s Mills facility. Kellanova will then use this flour to produce the crackers at their Cary, NC, facility. Ahold Delhaize USA will distribute these products across more than 2,000 stores, with retail availability expected by 2025.
“We’re excited to work with our customers and partners to improve on-farm environmental outcomes, while increasing overall sustainability across the milling and baking supply chain,” said Bob Knief, President of Bartlett, a Savage Company. “We have a strong commitment to continuous improvement and look forward to engaging with and supporting North Carolina wheat farmers in measuring and optimizing their sustainability performance.”
A key outcome of this program will be the generation of agronomic insights on farm and supply chain resilience. Arva Intelligence will use its CropForce platform to measure, report, and verify the impacts on partners' emissions reductions. This will provide scalable knowledge to support future Scope 3 initiatives.
“Ninety-five percent of Ahold Delhaize USA emissions reside in Scope 3, which makes this program incredibly important. Not only will this help us on our race to Net Zero, but the data will help us to chart our future path for Scope 3 collaborations,” said Marc Stolzman, Chief Sustainability Officer for Ahold Delhaize USA.
The pilot will include farmers already practicing regenerative agriculture, creating a foundation of experienced growers to mentor new participants, with insights from the pilot disseminated to inform ongoing and future projects.
