Do we like them?

Do we like General Mills?

Packaged food maker (Cheerios, Nature Valley, Pillsbury, Häagen-Dazs, Blue Buffalo), based in Minnesota, US

Our score: 6 out of 10. A big, fairly steady food company with real climate goals and only modest legal trouble. It's not a standout, because its targets are only partly met and it sells a lot of processed food.

General Mills is the Minnesota maker of Cheerios, Nature Valley and Pillsbury. Jeff Harmening has run it since 2017. On 30 September 2026 the board said Chief Operating Officer Dana McNabb will take over as CEO on 1 January 2027, and Harmening will become executive chair.

It's been a tough year for sales. The Star Tribune reported that the company cut its outlook as stressed shoppers spent less, and it now expects organic net sales to fall 1.5% to 2%. That's a business story rather than a good or bad deed, but it's why a new boss is coming in.

On the climate side, it has pledged to cut emissions across its whole value chain by 30% by 2030 against 2020, and to reach net zero by 2050. It also aims to get 1 million acres into regenerative agriculture. Its proxy reports more than 800,000 acres enrolled, and Food Dive reported a plan to cut dairy emissions 40% by 2030.

The drama has mostly been about labels. In 2025 it agreed to drop '100% natural' wording from some Nature Valley bars after consumer groups sued over trace glyphosate. The company said its label was accurate. In 2015 a gluten-free Cheerios recall led to a class action.

So we land at a cautious yes. We found no big fines or scandals in what we searched, and there are real climate targets. But we couldn't check tax, lobbying or worker treatment, and the emissions goals still have a long way to go.