Latina™ Fresh, a General Mills brand, partnered with Landcare Australia in 2018 to develop a sustainable agriculture program helping durum wheat farmers to improve the sustainability and resilience of their farm production systems.

Latina™ Fresh has been making fresh pasta using high quality Australian durum wheat for over 20 years. Approximately 50% to 70% of Australian durum wheat is grown in northwest NSW, however the area had previously been hit hard by the effects of drought.

To inform the program, Landcare Australia conducted a needs analysis, with farmers indicating that they wanted to understand more about the benefits of cover crops and managing harvest stubble. These activities have been shown to help stabilise soils, increase fallow efficiency and help improve the resilience of regional farming systems. A series of trials investigating their efficacy on durum wheat production were launched in 2020.

To find out more about the program watch the video below and read the results of the trials HERE.