Food as a force for good
Cargill, a global food supplier, is addressing issues like climate change, food inequality, and supply chain challenges in its mission to do good and nourish the world.
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By Fortune | August 01, 2022
This article was initially published by Fortune
EVERY DAY, CARGILL FEEDS PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.
Since its first grain warehouse brought farmers and sellers together 157 years ago, the company has grown to be a global partner, connecting the world’s food system and addressing the urgent need to make it more sustainable and resilient. Cargill’s work is guided by the values that have steered the company since its founding: putting people first, reaching higher, and doing the right thing. This means retaining a local focus to do the greatest good, positively impacting the people and the planet today and for generations to come. In Côte d’Ivoire, for example, where women are at the heart of cocoa-producing communities, Cargill is helping women grow as farmers and entrepreneurs by connecting them to financing and education. As these women gain access to opportunities to earn a living wage, families see farm productivity increase and achieve higher household incomes while the communities benefit from improved education access for their children. This type of local investment can help create long-term vibrancy for agricultural communities worldwide.
Cargill’s work has fostered global connections, as well. When a major U.S. infant formula manufacturer shut down in February 2022, parents couldn’t find the formula their infants needed. Cargill connected the supply chain from farm to formula manufacturers. By running facilities at maximum capacity and working with shippers to prioritize delivery, the company helped accelerate formula production, address the supply chain shortage, and get parents the formula they need to nourish their infants.
Guided by its value of “do-ing the right thing,” Cargill is also tackling one of the greatest hurdles to the global food system: climate change. The company has focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enabling nature-positive production. In ocean transportation, for instance, Cargill is making zero-carbon shipping a reality by bringing BAR Technologies’ patented WindWings, a novel technology to harness clean wind power, to bulk shipping and has installed digital software on Cargill’s entire fleet to reduce CO2 emissions.
But Cargill’s commitments don’t stop at its supply chain; they extend to the communities where the company’s employees live and work. In 1995, Cargill opened its first school in Vietnam. Today, more than 100 schools are in operation, educating 15,000 Vietnamese children annually while also helping to meet their nutritional needs with free lunches and nutrition education.
From India to Vietnam, Cameroon to the U.K., Brazil to Canada, and 65 other countries in between, Cargill works every day to feed people, create greater economic opportunities, and build brighter futures. The company continues to be guided by its mission to do good and nourish people in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way.