Community Engagement
Cargill invests in local communities through economic development, partnerships and giving combined with the volunteer efforts of our employees. Cargill provides corporate support to select national and global nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that serve communities in which we have a business presence. We support partners working within our focus areas of food security, nutrition, and sustainability. And, our businesses and facilities sponsor employee-led groups, called Cargill Cares Councils, which support civic and non-profit organizations in their local communities.
Cargill Cares Councils seek to recognize issues important to our communities; build effective relationships with community leaders; and work to help improve living standards and promote vibrant, stable communities.
Local Activities
The Cargill Cares Council in Belgium is actively focusing on supporting projects in the communities in and around where we operate.
Some examples of our citizenship activities are:
- In the weeks around World Food Day, Cargill organizes a breakfast for the underprivileged in all the communities where we do business in Belgium.
- The Cargill Cares Council helps organizing the Relay for Life in Brussels, a 24h sportive event to raise money for the research against cancer.
- Support for the local food banks to ensure improved health and nutrition of disadvantaged populations.
- Financial and in kind support for education and health projects throughout Belgium.
- Through our European Research & Development centre in Vilvoorde, Cargill supports young students in the field of Food Science and Technology. Our involvement includes supporting a Student of the Year Award in collaboration with EFFoST (European Federation of Food Science and Technology) and supporting the European Master in Food Studies and the Anton Jurgens Institute.
- Cargill is committed to reducing our environmental impact. For example, the employees in our Belgian facilities are collecting corks. These corks are given to an organization which takes care for mentally disabled people. They reuse the “waste” and make bulletin boards out of them.
- On top of this, our employees actively get involved with various initiatives and organisations in their local communities through fundraising efforts and volunteering. Cargill supports and encourages our employees to get involved where they can and we will often match their efforts to further the contribution they are able to make.