Directly and through its employee matching gifts program, Cargill has contributed more that $500,000 to support immediate relief efforts. The company said it will also provide up to $500,000 to long-term reconstruction efforts that will be directed by Cargill businesses in the affected regions in coming months.
Employees and the food company have committed some $400,000 to the Red Cross for immediate assistance. Cargill also contributed $100,000 to CARE for water purification and sanitation efforts, and Cargill businesses in the devastated regions have donated case and in-kind assistance to local relief agencies.
"Fortunately, Cargill employees, facilities and customers have been spared any immediate impact from the powerful earthquake and tsunami," commented David Raisbeck, vice chairman of Cargill and executive supervisor for Asia. "We are heartened by the response worldwide of our employees, who have contributed so generously to the relief effort. Cargill has operated in the region for more than 50 years and we are committed to supporting the long-term rehabilitation of South and Southeast Asia."
In another humanitarian gesture, Cargill today said it would donate $1 million to The Nature Conservancy to support conservation and sustainable agriculture initiatives in three, priority-designated Conservancy sites, including China's northwest Yunnan province, Brazil's Amazon region, and along the Mississippi River in the United States. The two-year grant will help the Conservancy develop further capabilities and expertise in its work to protect some of the most biologically diverse ecosytems in the world, promote environmental awareness, and foster best practices around sustainable agriculture and economic development.
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