Ethics & Compliance

Since 1865, when W.W. Cargill founded our company, Cargill has acted on the belief that doing the right thing sets the foundation for long-term success. This rich legacy has sustained us for nearly 150 years. Today, as a global leader in nourishing people, we remain just as committed to this belief. Our customers, shareholders, employees and communities count on us to uphold this commitment and we know that Cargill’s continued success depends on it.    

Cargill’s Code of Conduct outlines our company’s ethical and compliance standards for conducting business throughout the world and serves as a guide for employees when they face dilemmas where the right choice is not clear. Our Code is grounded in our seven Guiding Principles, which are ingrained in our culture and serve as the foundation for the behaviors expected from all of our employees in all parts of the world.

Our Guiding Principles

We obey the law. Obeying the law is the foundation on which our reputation and Guiding Principles are built. As a global organization privileged to do business all over the world, we have the responsibility to comply with all of the laws that apply to our businesses.

We conduct our business with integrity. We take pride in conducting our business with integrity. We compete vigorously, but do so fairly and ethically. We do not offer or accept bribes or inappropriate gifts and we comply with the laws and regulations that support fair competition and integrity in the marketplace.

We keep accurate and honest records. Accurate and honest records are critical to making sound business decisions and maintaining the integrity of our financial reporting. Our business information, in whatever form, must reflect the true nature of our transactions.

We honor our business obligations. Our business relationships are grounded in mutual trust, and have been throughout Cargill’s history. We build and maintain the trust and confidence of our customers and other business partners by communicating honestly, respecting information entrusted to us and standing behind our commitments.

We treat people with dignity and respect. We achieve our goals through our people. We provide a safe workplace and value the unique contributions of our global team, enabling those who support Cargill’s goals to achieve their own individual potential.

We protect Cargill’s information, assets and interests. We count on one another to act as stewards of the organization. To preserve the value of Cargill, we protect the information and assets entrusted to us and avoid situations that may let personal interests influence our business judgment.

We are committed to being a responsible global citizen. The breadth of our operations means that Cargill touches almost every aspect of society. With our global reach comes the responsibility to understand and manage our impact. We maintain strict environmental and food safety standards within our operations and share our global knowledge and experience to help meet economic and social challenges.