General Mills To Double Organic Acreage For Sourcing Its Ingredients

General Mills, the third largest natural and organic food manufacturer in the U.S., is expanding its organic acreage in order to meet projected sales and consumer demand.

The food giant expects to meet its goal of 250,000 acres by 2019, according to a release.

At the Consumer Analysts Group of New York conference, General Mills executive vice president and chief operating officer for U.S. retail Jeff Harmening said the company expects to reach $1 billion in net sales from its natural and organic products by 2019.

In the North American packaged food industry, General Mills is among the top five organic ingredient purchasers and the second largest buyer of organic fruits and vegetables.

John Church, executive vice president of General Mills' supply chain, said, "To achieve the growth we anticipate for our natural and organic brands, we will need a more robust pipeline of organic growers. We're building strategic relationships directly with farmers for our products and are dedicated to working with growers to optimize production and quality, adopt standard practices and accelerate supply."

General Mills' natural and organic portfolio includes Cascadian Farm, LÄRABAR, Food Should Taste Good, and Annie's.