Agro Perspectiva

Cargill China launches the Golden Key Plan, a program to help improve farmers’ income.

10.03.2010 11:10 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) — Cargill China launched the Golden Key Plan; a program aimed at improving farmers’ incomes and ultimately promoting long-term sustainable development in China. The Golden Key Plan program consists of three parts: increasing the number of farmer training centers, developing local agriculture and food talent, setting up a risk and supply chain management innovation center, through which customers and partners can learn about managing risk and how to supply safe and stable quality food. We also will work with customers to help them improve supply chain efficiencies and to manage rapid product development cycles. At Cargill, we believe in investing to improve livelihoods for rural residents in economically meaningful, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible ways. Regarding the Golden Key Plan, Greg Page, Cargill Chairman and CEO said, «Cargill is committed to help promote rural development in China. Our aim is not only to help increase farmers’ incomes but also to upgrade the „soft strength“ of farmers in China and therefore promote the long term sustainable development.» Our continued success depends on the growth and health of our communities and partners. Rural development provides us with partners to help our customers succeed. Farmers are our partners. We buy agricultural supplies from farmers, train farmers on best practices and sell farmers our products. The Golden Key Plan will provide additional ways of strengthening these partnerships in China by: increasing the number of Cargill training centers in China from 21 to 50 and training farmers on animal nutrition and planting technologies, sending Chinese farmers to overseas universities and advanced farms to learn farm management, assigning Chinese colleagues to overseas assignments to learn global technology and best practices in global operations, implementing a risk and supply chain management innovation center for Cargill China customers and partners, helping Cargill China customers improve supply chain efficiencies and manage rapid product development cycles. Cargill China’s presence in rural business activities creates economic opportunities and encourages sustainable growth by training farmers in best practices in animal health and nutrition; operating plants with technology to protect the environment and contributing funds to protect endangered eco-systems. Our activities in China are varied and we are committed to helping the farmers we partner with improve their incomes. Our rural business activities create economic opportunities in the countryside. We have trained over two million farmers in best practices with training sessions on increasing land productivity, farmer economics, food security and food quality. Cargill has had a presence in China since the 1970s and has more than 5,000 employees, and 37 wholly owned companies and joint ventures in the country. Cargill’s operations in China include Cargill Agricultural Services, Cargill Supply Chain, Cargill Food Ingredients and Systems, Cargill Animal Protein, Cargill Financial Services, Cargill Energy, Transportation and Industrial Trading.