Taking CSR seriously

Q: As a multinational company that has several overseas groups, Cargill has valued farmers and building communities for many years. But would you like to tell me the reason why Cargill China won the ACE and has made such excellent achievements in CSR projects?

A: Firstly I want to share with you that the way Cargill conducts CSR in China is through continuous, consistent and persevering efforts.

All of the Cargill's branches in every corner of the world are doing very well in community engagement. It is embedded in our values and routine works.

In China today, we see ourselves as a local company, which, with its strong global network and rich expertise in agriculture and food, is in a unique position to help address some of the key challenges and needs of China in promoting sustainable rural development.

We partner with local governments and development agencies to ensure the effective implementation of corporate responsibility programs and projects.

What made our company win the final award, in my view, should depend on our commitment to the country and local communities:

We share our best technology with our suppliers, customers and government.

We promote sustainable agriculture as well as a secure and safe food supply.

We help farmers improve the productivity of their farms, crops and livestock and add value in production, processing, distribution and trade of food and agricultural products.

We raise the living standards of the rural population and improve education opportunities

And we work with our suppliers to develop safe supply chains.

Q: Cargill China's employee involvement is key for running CSR projects in local communities. How (and why) do you inspire your employees to participate in CSR activities?

A: It is about corporate value, it is about commitment, (and) motivating employee involvement.

For Cargill, corporate responsibility is part of everything we do. It is a company-wide commitment to share our knowledge and expertise with others to tackle complex economic, environmental and social challenges wherever we do business.

Our corporate responsibility extends not only to our own operations but to the wider communities we impact. We recognize that Cargill's continued success depends on the growth and health of our communities and partners, as well as the vitality and conservation of our natural resources.

Last but not least from the measurement system, CSR is actually included as one of the key factors to measure if our business is successful. Our business will never be successful if we have not engaged and contributed to the local communities we are serving.

(China Daily 01/05/2009 page10)