Community Involvement Spotlights

Cargill Honored for Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts in Argentina

On December 12, 2007, U.S. Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne presented Cargill with a certificate in recognition of the company's corporate social responsibility efforts in Argentina. This award is based on the Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE), which was created by the U.S. Department of State in 1999 to recognize the important role that U.S. businesses play abroad as responsible corporate citizens.

Cargill was one of five companies selected for the award, which included American Express, Citibank, Intel and Kraft. The company was recognized for its efforts in the area of infrastructure and education.

Since its creation in 1971, the Cargill Foundation in Argentina has focused its community efforts on improving education in rural areas where Cargill has operations. The Foundation also works to improve public health conditions in these communities. In 2005 the Foundation made a deeper commitment to the community through three focus areas:

In his remarks, Ambassador Wayne acknowledged the significant achievements that each of the companies have made and thanked them for their considerable contributions in Argentina. "It is a privilege for me to highlight the work that each of you is doing as it clearly demonstrates your commitment to Argentina and to improving the lives of so many of its citizens."

Getting adolescent workers in Honduras back in the classroom

The effects of 1998’s Hurricane Mitch on Honduras were far more profound than mere physical destruction. The storm affected the nation’s economic and social systems, hitting the poor especially hard. A telling symptom of fraying, stressed economies is child labor. Within months of the hurricane, the number of working children increased 16 percent, and children represented nearly 15 percent of the country’s working population. Today, an astonishing 40 percent of Honduran children aged 10 to 17 have already entered the workforce.

Cargill is partnering with CARE in a two-year commitment to help adolescent workers in the Sula Valley of northern Honduras. Through CARE’s ENTRA program (Educación Basica para Niños y Niñas Trabadores) working children will receive distance learning from volunteer facilitators. Distance-learning toosl are vital, as working children typically lack access to a standard school: they may be isolated on large plantations, barred from enrollment since they are migrants rather than permanent residents, or required to work during normal classroom hours. Volunteer facilitators will teach the curriculum, and the “classroom” may be any available meeting place.

Cargill has committed nearly $200,000, and volunteers from Cargill’s Sun Valley business in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, will help train volunteers to use the distance-learning resources. Over two years, an expected 350 children will be reached by the partnership.

$1 Million gift to boost Nature Conservancy’s global conservation work

Cargill is proud to announce a $1 million gift to The Nature Conservancy to support conservation and sustainable agriculture initiatives in three, priority-designated Conservancy sites, including China’s northwest Yunnan province, Brazil’s Amazon region, and along the Mississippi River in the United States. The two-year grant will help the Conservancy develop further capabilities and expertise in its work to protect some of the most biologically diverse eco-systems in the world, promote environmental awareness, and foster best practices around sustainable agriculture and economic development.

Cargill helps Kenyan schoolchildren

To date Cargill’s $1 million partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has supported food, nutrition and education programs in Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Cote d’Ivoire. Now, a portion of the funds will be used to buy medicine for nearly 156,000 children in Kenya suffering from intestinal worms. The widespread presence of intestinal worms drastically reduces the children’s ability to absorb nutrients, so the difference de-worming makes is startling. It also ensures the children are more resistant to other infections and greatly enhances their overall health.

Cargill’s contribution will cover the costs of transportation of the medicine to five district particularly affected by poverty and drought and also the training of local teachers to administer drugs to the children.