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Corn

Advancing sustainability across corn supply chains

Cargill grinds and processes significant amounts of corn around the world every day. We are working to increase transparency about where that corn comes from, how it is grown, and the environmental and social impacts of our corn supply chain and processing operations.

Our commitment

As a leading purchaser, processor and transporter of corn, Cargill is committed to sourcing sustainably-produced corn in major supply chains worldwide. The way we define sustainable corn is that we understand the risks and issues with growing corn in a specific region and work on continuous improvement area’s that are relevant for the farmer, customer and the environment. The improvement areas are linked to land use (biodiversity and soil and soil health), water, climate change (greenhouse gas emissions) and farmer livelihoods.

We engage farmers to promote continuous improvement in the sustainability of corn production and address its environmental impact, including reducing fertilizer use and nutrient runoff, improving water quality, reducing erosion and improving soil health, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from crop cultivation. On the processing side, we are constantly working to improve the efficiency of our facilities to conserve energy, water and other resources. We have high standards for the economic and social practices in our corn supply chain, including farmer livelihoods and labor conditions.

Our progress

We work with industry groups, farmers and our customers to improve sustainability across our corn supply chain. Our support of key initiatives – including Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, the Midwest Row Crop Collaborative and the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative – is helping to improve transparency and increase sustainable practices. We work with growers in the U.S., for example, to promote use of Field to Market’s Fieldprint® Platform, which measures land use, soil conservation, soil carbon, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water quality and irrigation water use. Using this tool, corn growers in our supply chain captured data on the sustainability performance of 113,000 enrolled acres in 2016 across four Cargill Fieldprint® Projects. We continue to reduce resource use and improve the efficiency of our operations. In Europe, Cargill has developed the Waxy Corn Promise™ program, to ensure a long-term sustainable crop supply for food starch and drive positive change throughout the European starch supply chain.

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Environmental Impact

We are helping to reduce the impact on water, soil, carbon and energy from corn production and processing.

Collaboration & Certification

We collaborate across the corn industry to promote best practices and improve sustainability.

Supporting Farmers

We support farmers in their efforts to improve the sustainability of corn production while increasing yields and improving livelihoods.

Waxy Corn Sustainable Sourcing

This farm-based program leverages strong partnerships between Cargill, farmers and co-op suppliers to address key sustainability challenges.

Our presence

Cargill has a significant presence in corn supply chains with production facilities and terminals around the world. We buy corn from farmers across major production areas, particularly in Brazil, China, India, Europe and the United States. The corn we process is used in a variety of market segments, including food, animal feed, fermentation and health products. We use our logistical capabilities as one of the world’s largest dry bulk shippers to move corn and related products from the places they are most efficiently grown to markets where they are consumed. Learn more about our sustainable corn solutions.

Increasing capacity in India

In 2016, Cargill opened a new wet corn milling facility in India. Learn more

Sustainable solutions

We provide sustainable corn solutions for food, animal feed, fermentation and health products. Learn more

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