skip to main content

Cargill statement on year-long invasion of Ukraine

February 24, 2023

The people of Ukraine continue to live an unthinkable and horrifying reality. Since their country was invaded one year ago, many have lost their lives, families, job, homes – everything. Unfortunately, those impacted include many of our Cargill team members, customers, and farmers. 

In response to this devastating war, we scaled back business activities and stopped new investments in Russia, operating only essential food and feed facilities. The Black Sea corridor plays a significant role in growing key ingredients for basic staples like bread, cereal and infant formula for people in more than 50 countries. That is why we must continue to operate in the region, never wavering from our focus on feeding the world, growing and moving food so that hunger is not allowed to become a weapon in this war.

We are prioritizing the safety of our employees, the true heroes operating in Eastern Europe to keep the Black Sea corridor open and grain moving in and out of the region. We continue actively supporting humanitarian efforts on the ground, led by our partners at World Central Kitchen, Kyiv City Charity Foundation and the World Food Program, and together we have fed more than 3,000 people per day.

Farmer livelihoods and the rebuilding of Ukraine’s ag economy are also critical to ensure ongoing global food security. Most recently, we partnered with HALO Trust to help farmers safely remove landmines from agricultural land and with World Central Kitchen to get sunflower and corn seeds into the hands of Ukrainian farmers for the growing season.