Community Engagement

« Together, let’s help humanity feed itself » with « Banques Alimentaires » - A federation of French foodbanks

Cargill’s support to food banks in France underlines our commitment to nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way and improving the communities where we live and work.

Being particularly sensitive to the need for people to have enough food to eat, Cargill invested in a long-term collaboration with the French Federation of Food Banks (FFBA) and local food banks, where our expertise in the food sector could bring added value.

The partnership started in 2010 and was renewed in 2016 for an additional three years. Cargill’s support to FFBA includes financial aid, food donations and employee volunteering, notably through Cargill employees delivering food safety and hygiene training to food bank managers. 

Since 2010, the French Federation of Food Banks and local food banks have benefitted from more than 600,000 euros in contributions from Cargill, whether it be financial or in-kind donations, including vegetable oil, chicken nuggets, chocolate and other products processed and packed at our French sites.

• Building a new warehouse in Amilly (45)
• Rehabilitation of the Food Bank in Mulhouse (68)
• Creation of a foster home for homeless people in Brest (29)
• Purchase of a cold-storage truck for the Food Bank from Loiret (45)
• Acquisition of a new cold room in Brest (22) and in Lille (59)
• Purchase of a forklift truck for the Food Bank in Saint Nazaire (44)
• Participation in the creation of an innovative and sustainable workshop named “Le Pain Perdu” in Vannes (56).

The workshop’s objective is to fight against bread waste by collecting unsold items and reusing them by processing them into breadcrumbs to incorporate into pet foods. The workshop also contributes to the fight against the exclusion of persons with disabilities.

Inspired by our commitment to improving the communities where we live and work, Cargill assigns particular importance to local initiatives. Each year, a number of Cargill employees from Cargill’s 17 sites in France participate in the two-day annual National Collection campaign organized by FFBA at the end of November, on Friday and Saturday. Employees bring together family, friends and Cargill retirees to help in the effort. At our St Nazaire and Montoir sites, les Jeunes Saupeurs-Pompiers (local associations for young firefighters) mark their participation in the National Collection on their calendars every year, and participate side-by-side with Cargill employees. Last year, our employees’ commitment to the National Collection resulted in the collection of more than 17 tonnes of food, or the equivalent of 34,000 meals.

To acknowledge our efforts, Cargill has been award the “Joint Enterprise” accreditation by the French Federation of Food Banks.

Cargill Orléans has been providing active support for many years to Ronald McDonald Foundation and its nine homes for parents in France.

When a child is hospitalized far from home, parents face difficulties in staying by their side permanently. These families need a welcoming place to live where they can feel like they are at home. 

That’s the reason why Ronald McDonald Foundation has created the Ronald McDonald parent houses, to support a family’s needs in this kind of situation. These nine houses in France (Villejuif, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lille, Toulouse, Nantes, Strasbourg, Limoges & Grenoble) allow hospitalized children to stay close to their families, and to maintain emotional support from their families, which is key for their recovery. More than 40,000 families have been welcomed in France since the Foundation exists, for stays ranging from months to days. 

Cargill Orléans has given active support for many years to the Ronald McDonald Foundation, through several types of actions: 

• Attending charity dinners and other events set up by the houses and providing cash donations and gifts (prizes, in-kind donations of chicken…).
• Fundraising efforts by Cargill Orléans employees: for example, the replacement of paper greeting cards with electronic cards saved 3,000 euros in 2016, which was donated to the foundation. Employees also host quiz sessions at the end of trainings, in the course of which every right answer is counted then converted into money given to the foundation (3,100 euros last year). 
• The organization of a chicken nuggets sale in 2013 to collect 3,000 euros.
• Support for the spring cleaning of the parents’ houses in France by Cargill employee volunteers.
• Turkey gifts every year for the families spending Christmas time in Ronald McDonald houses.

A commitment to develop a sustainable chicken supply chain in France, from farm to fork.

Cargill is committed to conducting all aspects of our business with absolute integrity and providing safe, nutritious and affordable chicken. For us, sustainability is building responsible and sustainable supply chains from farm to fork. 

We do this by minimizing the environmental impact of our operations and supply chains, respecting the animals in our care and improving welfare standards. To achieve this, Cargill has set up several types of actions: 

• Conducting annual third-party food safety audits at all our facilities.
• Maintaining best in class health and safety records – both by protecting our people and ensuring the safety of our products.
• Undertaking carbon and water foot printing of our European supply chains from farm to fork.
• Working together with the Nature Conservancy, we are helping to prevent illegal deforestation and contributing to a more responsible soybean supply chain.

These long term actions have already permitted us to achieve some significant results:

• 19% reduction in water use at all our sites since 2010.
• 19% reduction in energy use in our processing sites since 2010. 
• 97% of waste is recycled in our operations.
• 1st chicken producer to carry out carbon foot printing from farm to fork.

In addition, animal welfare is another huge priority. Cargill is committed to treating the animals in our supply chain with care and respect. We continually evaluate new practices and technologies to promote best animal welfare practices, some of which include:

• Supporting Oxford University since 2011 to develop video motion equipment that facilitates early detection of certain potential health problems in flocks.
• Providing natural light and enriched environments in chicken houses in the UK to stimulate bird activity and natural behaviors.