Cargill Expands Climate Change Commitments

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WAYZATA, Minnesota, Dec. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With a global footprint and presence in major food and ag supply chains around the globe, Cargill is committed to protecting the earth's vital natural resources and reducing its environmental impact. In alignment with its climate commitment, Cargill has adopted a Scope 3 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in its global supply chains by 30% per ton of product by 2030. 

This goal aligns with many of Cargill's customers, who are driving toward similar climate goals. Cargill has also reinforced its intent to prioritize climate through three recent activities aligned with companies around the globe, including pledging to the CEO climate statement, signing on to the We Are Still In coalition to continue supporting the Paris Climate Accord and convening at this week's UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 in Madrid.

The commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from its global supply chain by 30% per ton of product by 2030, in combination with the previously announced operational goal to reduce absolute emissions by 10%, has been approved by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

"Without bold and decisive actions by all involved in the production of food, climate change will destabilize the food system," said David MacLennan, Cargill's chairman and chief executive officer. "We are determined to innovate, scale and implement solutions together with producers, our customers and governments worldwide. Agriculture is how we will mitigate climate change, regenerate our soils and improve water use, while nourishing the world in a more sustainable way."

Prioritizing climate across Cargill supply chains

To reduce its climate impact, Cargill is focused on targeted supply chain interventions, programming and policy solutions benefiting farmers, customers and the broader food system.

-  Accelerating sustainable progress in beef: Cargill is building on the efficiency of the North American beef industry, which is already 35% more efficient from a GHG perspective than the global average, by establishing programs around grazing management, feed production and food waste reduction. The BeefUp Sustainability initiative aims to achieve a 30% GHG reduction per pound of product produced by 2030. Cargill will work hand-in-hand with farmers, ranchers and innovators across the beef supply chain to accelerate adoption of practices known to improve sustainability outcomes, like soil health and carbon storage. As an early step, Cargill is sponsoring the Yield Lab Institute's Manure Innovation Challenge. The challenge will guide start-ups with solutions that capture the value from manure-based nutrients, fiber, and energy on an expedited path to market, while creating on-farm profitability. 

-  Advancing soil health: Healthy soil is critical to helping slow climate change. It's also fundamental to the long-term prosperity of farmers and ranchers. Cargill is ideally positioned to leverage its connectivity and partnerships to help producers implement regenerative agriculture practices that improve soil health—boosting farm productivity and the overall economic resiliency of the farm. As a founding member of the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), Cargill is supporting the establishment of a market to enable and encourage farmers and ranchers to adopt and sustain conservation management practices to improve soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve related water quality and reduce water use. Cargill is also equipping farmers with the research and insights needed to understand how investing in soil health can yield financial and economic benefits with the Soil Health Institute.  

-  Reducing carbon for sustainable shipping: Cargill is committed to leading the maritime industry to a more sustainable future. In 2018, the business reduced gross CO2 emissions 350,000 tons (4.5%) while it maintained the same level of transport activity. Additionally, Cargill is part of the Global Maritime Forum's Decarbonization Task Force, working alongside more than 50 industry leaders to move shipping toward a decarbonized future. Cargill is turning its attention to new technologies with long-term potential to fulfill the International Maritime Organization's ambitious GHG targets and transition the global shipping industry to carbon-neutral by 2050.

-  Protecting forests in partnership with farmers: Cargill is actively working to address emissions from land use changes as part of its sustainability strategy. Cargill is committed to protecting forests in support of the New York Declaration on Forests across key supply chains. For example, in palm, Cargill is committing $3.5 million to a 25-year long community forest project located in the Nanga Lauk village in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, that enables community members to protect and manage the forest while also obtaining an income from the sustainable use of natural resources. As part of our cocoa and chocolate Protect our Planet Strategic Action Plan and commitment to the Cocoa & Forests Initiative, Cargill's community-based interventions in Cote d'Ivoire led to the planting of over 320,000 shade trees, thanks to the engagement of 3,000 farmers across 12 cooperatives between 2018 and 2019. In the South American soy supply chain, Cargill has been committed to the Amazon Soy Moratorium since 2006 and is investing $30 million to find innovative solutions to protect South American forests in ways that are economically viable for farmers.

"We are pleased to see Cargill set an aggressive goal to reduce their scope 3 value chain greenhouse gas emissions as an addition to their science-based target for their operations," said Cynthia Cummis, Director of Private Sector Climate Mitigation, WRI. "As a large and influential company in the agriculture sector, Cargill's actions will positively impact the food industry and help companies further downstream reduce their own emissions. Throughout the target-setting process, Cargill has been a thoughtful and strategic partner who recognizes the critical urgency of addressing climate change."

About Cargill

Cargill's 160,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 154 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture.

SOURCE Cargill