Palm oil supply chain

Criticisms include burning and clearing rainforests, causing conflict with local communities, destroying peatlands and operating in violation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil's (RSPO) Principles and Criteria and outside of Indonesian law. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: RAN (2010)

Amazon deforestation due to soy

Cargill has been criticised together with ADM and Bunge (who together account for 60% of the total financing of soy production in Brazil) in Greenpeace report 'Eating up the Amazon' Publication, May 2006, as having severe environmental impacts in the Amazon including deforestation, displacement of native people and use of slave labor. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Greenpeace 'Eating up the Amazon' (2006)

Child slavery

Anti-Slavery International is calling on cocoa traders Cargill, ADM and Barry Callebaut to increase their efforts to end child slavery in the industry, particularly in the Ivory Coast. These big multinational commodity trading companies buy cocoa sourced from Ivorian cocoa farms where children in slavery are frequently found, and export it to the global brands which make and sell chocolate worldwide. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Anti-Slavery International (2010)

Multinational Monitor's '10 Worst Corporations of 2008'

Named one of Multinational Monitor's '10 Worst Corporations of 2008'. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Multinational Monitor (2008)

Promotion of GMO into food chain

Cargill (and Archer Daniels Midland) have been criticied as being instrumental in the introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms into the food chain. These two companies, principally involved in distribution and primary processing of commodities, are responsible for around two thirds of US soya and maize exports.

Source: Corporate Watch (2000)

Land grabs in Africa

This company has signed a letter of intent (https://bit.ly/2rdBlwn) to participate in the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, which claims will lift 50 million people in Africa out of poverty by 2022. But according to a 2015 report by ActionAid, the scheme will benefit multinational companies at the expense of small-scale farmers and is likely to increase poverty and inequality in Africa. Launched in 2012, the New Alliance provides aid money from rich countries like the US and the UK, and helps big business invest in the African agricultural sector. But in return, African countries are required to change their land, seed and trade rules in favour of big business. The New Alliance will: Make it easier for big corporations to grab land in Africa: Prevent farmers from breeding, saving and exchanging seeds: Heavily promote chemical fertilisers and pesticides, which increase farmers’ risk of debt as well as damaging the environment and farmers' health: Replace family farms with low paid, insecure jobs; and Prevent countries from restricting crop exports, even at times of domestic shortage.

Source: Action Aid (2015)

Climate action commitments

As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: commit to 100% renewable power.

Source: We Mean Business (2021)

GC3 member (Green Chemistry)

This company is a member of the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council (GC3), a business-to-business forum that advances the application of green chemistry and design for environment across supply chains. It provides an open forum for cross-sectoral collaboration to share information and experiences about the challenges to and opportunities for safer chemicals and products.

Source: GC3 (2019)

World Cocoa Foundation member

This company is a member of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), an international membership organization representing more than 100 member companies across the cocoa value chain. WCF is committed to creating a sustainable cocoa economy through economic & social development and environmental stewardship in cocoa-growing communities.

Source: World Cocoa Foundation (2024)

Sustainable Food Laboratory member

The Sustainable Food Lab is a network of business, public sector, and civil society leaders from around the globe who are working together to accelerate sustainability in mainstream food and agriculture.

Source: Sustainable Food Lab (2016)

Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef member

This company is a member of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB), who's stated mission is to advance continuous improvement in sustainability of the global beef value chain through leadership, science and multi-stakeholder engagement and collaboration. However the GSRB has been criticised by a group of NGOs for its failure to address misuse of antibiotics and animal welfare concerns, among other things (http://bit.ly/1xWw5pV).

Source: GRSB (2017)

How2Recycle member

This company is a member of How2Recycle. The How2Recycle Label is a voluntary, standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public. It involves a coalition of forward thinking brands who want their packaging to be recycled and are empowering consumers through smart packaging labels. Companies must be a member of the program to use the How2Recycle Label.

Source: How2Recycle (2023)

Cocoa & Forests Initiative signatory

This company is a member of the Cocoa & Forests Initiative, demonstrating a commitment to no further conversion of any forest land for cocoa production in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire. On March 2019, thirty-three company signatories, accounting for about 85% of global cocoa usage, released detailed individual action plans. The action plans focus on forest protection and restoration, sustainable cocoa production and farmers' livelihoods, and community engagement and social inclusion.

Source: World Cocoa Foundation (2020)

Leather Working Group member

This company is a member of the Leather Working Group, a multi-stakeholder group who's objective is to develop and maintain a protocol that assesses the compliance and environmental performance of tanners and promotes sustainable and appropriate environmental business practices within the leather industry.

Source: Leather Working Group (2022)

Bonsucro member

This company is a member of Bonsucro - Better Sugar Cane Initiative, a global non-profit, multi-stakeholder organisation fostering the sustainability of the sugarcane sector through its leading metric-based certification scheme and its support for continuous improvement for members.

Source: Bonsucro (2019)

Sustainable Agriculture Initiative member

This company is a member of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform, the main food industry initiative supporting the development of sustainable agriculture worldwide. Created by Nestle, Unilever and Danone in 2002, the SAI Platform is a non-profit organization to facilitate sharing, at precompetitive level, of knowledge and initiatives to support the development and implementation of sustainable agriculture practices involving the different stakeholders of the food chain.

Source: SAI Platform (2023)

Non-GMO products in USA

This company has products that have been verified as compliant with the Non-GMO Project Standard, North America's only independent verification for products made according to best practices for GMO avoidance.

Source: Non-GMO Project (2021)

48.7% in Forest 500 Rankings

Forest 500 identifies the 350 companies and 150 financial institutions with the greatest exposure to tropical deforestation risk, and annually assesses them on the strength and implementation of their deforestation and human rights commitments. This company received a score of 48.7%.

Source: Forest 500 (2023)

Chocolate scorecard

Be Slavery Free's 2024 Chocolate Scorecard rates all the major chocolate companies on their labour and environmental policies and practices. Companies were asked questions in six areas: traceability and transparency; living income; child labor; deforestation and climate; agroforestry; and pesticides. This company received a yellow rating: "Progressing in policy and practice."

Source: Be Slavery Free (2024)

Modern Slavery statement

California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.

Source: company website (2022)

OpenSecrets.org profile

OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.

Source: Open Secrets (2024)

Investment in nanotechnology

Friends of the Earth's 2014 report "Tiny Ingredients, Big Risks" names this company as one of over 200 transnational food companies engaged in nanotechnology research and development, and on their way to commercializing products. New studies are adding to a growing body of scientific evidence indicating nanomaterials may be toxic to humans and the environment.

Source: FOE (2014)

30% in Food and Agriculture Benchmark

The 2023 Food and Agriculture Benchmark assessed 350 keystone companies across the entirety of the food system, from farm to fork. It covers three dimensions where transformation is needed: nutrition, environment and social inclusion. This company ranked #63/350, with a total score of 30/100.

Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2023)

28.2% in Nature Benchmark

The Nature Benchmark ranks 816 companies across 20 industries on their efforts to protect our environment and its biodiversity. Companies were assessed in three phases between 2022 and 2024 using three measurement areas: governance and strategy; social inclusion and community impact; and ecosystems and biodiversity. This company was assessed in 2023 and is ranked #99/816, with a total score of 28.2/100.

Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2023)

Corporate Rap Sheet

The Corporate Research Project's Corporate Rap Sheets are dossiers summarising the most significant crimes, violations and other questionable activities of the world's largest and most controversial companies. Follow link to see this company's Corporate Rap Sheet. "Cargill has frequently been associated with controversies involving food contamination, workplace injuries, anticompetitive practices and environmental violations and has been targeted by climate activists for destroying rainforests in countries such as Indonesia."

Source: Corporate Research Project (2018)

Powerful agribusiness

As one of the largest grain traders in the world, with hundreds of grain terminals worldwide, integration of storage and transportation, and as one of the top beef, pork, and turkey processors, and cattle feedlot operators, Cargil's power in enormous in the US, Europe and globally. Cargill has been a leading architect of an agricultural system in which it is both buyer and seller. See Food and Water Watch Europe's comprehensive fact sheet on Cargil.

Source: Food and Water Watch (2009)

Facing Finance profile

This company is listed on the Facing Finance website as a company that manufactures weapons or profits from violations of human rights, pollution, corruption, or international law. Follow link for further details.

Source: Facing Finance (2015)

BankTrack profile

BankTrack is a global network of civil society organisations and individuals tracking the operations of the banking sector and the activities they finance. Banktrack aims to promote fundamental changes in the banking sector so that banks adopt just and sustainable business practices. BankTrack also has profiles on companies, such as this one, which have been the subject of civil society campaigns for damaging the environment or society. Follow the link to see this company's profile.

Source: BankTrack (2018)