Cargill fights childhood malnutrition in rural Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia, October 17, 2016 – Cargill is taking steps to fight childhood malnutrition in Indonesia to commemorate World Food Day this year.

A study by the Indonesian health department in 2015 revealed that chronic malnourishment remains prevalent among young children in Indonesia. In a ranking of the country’s 34 provinces with malnourished children, West Kalimantan and South Sumatra, where Cargill’s oil palm plantations operate, placed 13th and 16th respectively.

From October to December, employees at Cargill’s oil palm plantations will volunteer to help over 2,000 children in South Sumatra and West Kalimantan access better nutrition through activities such as:

• Hindoli collagues prepare a nutritious meal of rice with chicken and vegetables, and a packet of milk, for 1,100 elementary and junior high school students at Sungai Lilin and Pulau Rimau sub-districtsDistribution of nutritious food packages to over 1,800 kindergarten, elementary and junior high school students at Cargill’s Hindoli, Harapan Sawit Lestari and Indo Sawit Kekal plantations and to 70 children at an orphanage supported by Cargill’s Poliplant Group plantation. The food packages are prepared by wives of Cargill employees.
• Healthy cooking demonstrations by Hindoli’s medical team to employees and junior high school students. At Harapan Sawit Lestari, cooking demonstrations are led by a local nutrition expert for employees, their families, and parents of kindergarten students.
• Nutrition and personal hygiene education workshops for employees, students and teachers.
• Vegetable farming projects for elementary and junior high school students at Hindoli, and at Poliplant Group, wives of employees learn urban farming techniques such as hydroponic gardening

“Rural communities in Indonesia are prone to severe hunger and malnutrition due to the remoteness of their locations. Our vegetable farming projects aim to improve access to affordable and nutritious food to those living and working in rural communities,” said Dr. Merryah Duani, a doctor at Cargill’s Hindoli oil palm plantation.

The activities are part of Cargill’s three-month campaign themed ‘Hunger Action Season’ to help improve nutrition for approximately 15,000 children in Asia through employee-led activities in collaboration with 50 partners, including food banks, local schools and various local charities.

The campaign also aims to raise awareness about the realities of childhood malnutrition amongst Cargill’s more than 50,000 employees in Asia and the communities they live in.