WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 17, 2008) - CARE announced today a $10 million grant from Cargill to boost efforts to fight poverty and long-term hunger in some of the world's poorest communities. The donation from Cargill – an international leader in food, agricultural and risk management products and services – will fund projects designed to help 100,000 men, women and children in rural areas throughout six countries fight poverty over the next five years. It is designed to address root causes of poverty by providing training, skills-development and market access for farmers and education for their children. It is the largest corporate grant in Cargill's nearly 150-year history.
"This is just the kind of partnership that CARE believes is necessary to reduce poverty over the long term. It underscores the importance CARE places on working in collaboration with corporations, governments and educational institutions to find lasting solutions to poverty and chronic hunger," said CARE's President and CEO Dr. Helene Gayle. "Our work hinges on the power of like-minded individuals coming together to help improve education, health and economic opportunities for millions of families and communities around the world."
"Cargill is committed to being a global leader in corporate citizenship by nourishing people in communities where we do business," said Greg Page, Cargill chairman and CEO. "We have 83,000 of our employees, and more than 40 percent of our net assets, in developing nations."
Cargill has partnered with CARE for more than 15 years to combat poverty. Since 1992, Cargill has donated $2.5 million to CARE in a global partnership that has benefited farmers and their families in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Already, the CARE-Cargill partnership has helped Brazilian cocoa bean farmers diversify their income during economic down-turns; improved educational opportunities for children as a strategy to eliminate child labor in cocoa-producing districts of Ghana; helped adolescent workers in Honduras return to school instead of working full-time, discouraging at-risk boys and girls from entering the workforce prematurely; and ensured that children in rural India have access to quality education.
The new $10 million, five-year initiative will build on this foundation by providing strategic support to the targeted 100,000 men, women and children at times when they are most vulnerable. For a child in a rural area, this vulnerable moment might present itself when a parent must decide whether to send him or her to school; for a farmer, when he or she lacks a means of bringing goods to a profitable market. By supporting families when they need it most, the partnership seeks to turn critical moments into a lifetime of well-being.
"We, like CARE, believe an investment in small farmers that increases their capacities to lift themselves out of poverty long before a food crisis occurs is the best strategy to help agriculturally dependent communities," noted Page. Countries targeted for the initiative include India, Brazil, Ghana, Honduras, Guatemala and Cote d'Ivoire.
"We are grateful for Cargill's gift. Because of its size and long-term nature, we will be able to help rural families in a way we simply can not with a one- or two-year commitment," added Dr. Gayle. "This multi-pronged partnership goes beyond the traditional donor-grantee relationship. Cargill's gift will help make markets work for people in poor communities, and focus on solutions. Cargill will work alongside CARE and the people we serve to share expertise, to volunteer, and to advocate," she added.
About CARE: CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty in 70 countries. We place special focus on working along side poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. For more information, visit www.care.org.
About Cargill:Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 158,000 employees in 66 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit www.cargill.com.
Cargill contributes more than $40 million a year to charities and community causes. Cargill's corporate citizenship efforts focus primarily on three areas: nutrition and health; innovation in education; and stewardship of natural resources. For more on Cargill's global citizenship work see the 2007 Corporate Citizenship Review by clicking here.
