NOMINATION FOR CORPORATE EXCELLENCE AWARD: CARGILL

UNCLAS MANILA 002000 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/EP STATE FOR EEB/EPPD NSMITH-NISSLEY STATE PASS EXIM, OPIC AND USTR TREASURY FOR OASIA USDA FOR FAS/OA AND FAS/OFSO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP EINV ELAB ETRD KSEP SENV RP SUBJECT: NOMINATION FOR CORPORATE EXCELLENCE AWARD: CARGILL PHILIPPINES INC. REF: STATE 00047222 NOMINATION -------------- ¶1. Post is pleased to nominate Cargill Philippines Inc., an international provider of food and agricultural and risk management products and services. With 401 employees in the Philippines, the company uses its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers and suppliers and help them succeed. Cargill was established in the Philippines in the 1950's through a representative office that exported copra (dried coconut meat) to the United States. The corporation since added an animal nutrition plant, plant and seed unit, and coconut oil plant to its Philippine operations. Good Corporate Citizenship -------------- ¶2. Cargill Philippines partners with Food for Hungry Minds (FHM),a global educational initiative that targets impoverished children. Cargill donates $50,000 annually, has representation on the executive board, and donates hundreds of volunteer hours to FHM's various programs. ¶3. In June 2004, the first FHM School opened for 28 Food for Hungry Minds scholars in Malolos, Bulacan. In addition to FHM, Cargill and its employees sponsor 79 scholars at various schools in the Mindanao region. Cargill employees volunteer their time to support the development of the scholars by sponsoring programs such as talent shows, two-day farm trips, and a summer camp. These programs increase the students' confidence and offer them a learning experience in agriculture and business. Employees also donated $700 this past year to pay for school uniforms and supplies. Cargill doubles or triples all employee donations. Provision of a Safe and Healthy Workplace -------------- ¶4. Cargill has goals for zero accidents and no lost time due to accidents. The copra crushing plant in General Santos has not had an accident since 1991. The plant has also been recognized by its peers in the Asia Pacific with Safety Excellence Awards. Cargill Animal Nutrition plants in the Philippines have been accident-free for more than seven years. ¶5. To avoid work-related accidents, employees submit near miss reports to address unsafe acts, unsafe behaviors, and unsafe conditions. The best report's author is recognized by peers and the company awards tokens of appreciation. Safety audits are conducted on a quarterly basis by cross functions and locations to ensure consistency in meeting safety standards. ¶6. In 2007, the copra crushing plant received the 'Health and Cleanliness' award from the Dept of Labor & Employment-Occupational Health and Safety Council for its 'best in class' working conditions. Since 2004, all the feed plants of Cargill Animal Nutrition Philippines have received Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification. These are the first and only HACCP certified animal feed plants in the Philippines. The HACCP certification means that Cargill's feed plants meet some of the most stringent worldwide safety standards for food production. Responsible Environmental Stewardship and Practices -------------- -------------- ¶7. In 2004, Cargill Philippines worked with local farmers to develop a program to address toxins and contaminants found in Philippine copra exports due to traditional drying methods. Instead of drying the copra over an open flame, the new process uses an inexpensive oven made with indigenous materials. This reduces air pollution and provides for a cleaner and more healthful copra product, while improving the competitiveness of copra exports and creating a new oven production industry. ¶6. To encourage broad adoption of this green innovation, Cargill Philippines has made this technology available to all interested parties - including the competition. Cargill even provides grants to farmers for a key component of the oven to further reduce their upfront investment and conducts formal training and monitoring to ensure farmers have a positive experience when using the process. Additionally, the farmers get an immediate economic benefit because Cargill pays a premium for the 'clean' copra. This ensures the sustainability of the export market and maintains the farmers' livelihood. Compatibility/Contribution to Local Science and Technology -------------- -------------- ¶7. Oven-drying copra drastically reduces toxin and contaminant levels to ensure the resulting oil and meal are 'clean' enough to meet current and future product safety specifications across all markets. This drying procedure allows farmers to achieve better and more consistent results, while using the same amount of time, effort, and resources as the traditional methods. Most importantly, it makes their products more competitive as worldwide standards become more stringent. ¶8. The GRP has adopted Cargill's technology with a nationwide initiative to jumpstart adoption. Cargill, for its part, has helped install more than 250 oven dryers in dozens of small communities in Southern Mindanao and trained over 3,500 farmers in the drying process. Contribution to the Rule of Law and Economic Growth -------------- -------------- ¶9. Cargill's sustained presence in the Mindanao region has offered Filipinos a viable option for economic prosperity, in spite of the region's unstable political climate. Cargill built the world's largest coconut oil mill in the Iligan, Lanao del Norte area in ¶1974. Cargill also established a seed business and research facility on the island in 1981 to develop, grow, and distribute hybrid corn seed varieties in collaboration with local corn farmers. Although these ventures have since been sold, Cargill Philippines is still active in Mindanao today through a coconut oil milling facility in General Santos City (Southern Mindanao),seven copra buying offices, animal feed distribution, and a feed manufacturing plant under construction in Northern Mindanao. The copra buying stations are located in remote and sometimes politically hostile areas. For example, Cargill Philippines has had a buying office on Basilan Island since 1994. This island gained international notoriety as a stronghold of radical Muslim insurgency groups such as the Abu Sayyaf. As a result of Cargill Philippines' reputation in the area, it has seldom encountered problems in this volatile community. ¶10. Coconut oil is the largest agricultural export of the Philippines ($565 million in 2006) and is becoming even more important as a biofuel component. The coconut oil and corpa meal (the solid byproduct of oil extraction) produced by the Cargill Philippines crushing facility is exported to Asia, Europe, and the United States. The coconut industry is the source of livelihood for over 3.5 million farmers and their families. Cargill accounts for nearly 15% of the country's coconut oil exports. KENNEY