‘Cargill is committed to leading the change our industries and communities urgently need,’ according to Brian Sikes, President and CEO, Cargill. ‘Working with our employees, customers, and community leaders and institutions around the world, we must and will drive greater diversity, equity and inclusive opportunity in food and agriculture.’
Several divisions of Cargill – including Cargill Cares Council & Employee Volunteers/Mentors, Cargill Corporate Responsibility and Cargill in the Netherlands – put these words into action through the company’s long-standing relationship with the Netherlands-based nonprofit Giving Back. The organisation’s mission is to increase cultural diversity at the top levels of business and government through partnerships and support for prospective students who are the first in their family to attend college or university in the Netherlands.
Giving Back provides them with personal and professional development workshops, mentorship and networking opportunities, both with fellow programme participants and corporate partners. In this way, the organisation and its partners connect those with vastly different experiences and create more awareness about cultural diversity and the importance of inclusion.
A key component of the initiative is Cargill’s master class for students, which covers topics such as sustainability and corporate responsibility. Along with this curriculum, the company contributes not only financial resources but time: dozens of employees volunteer to coach students and make the critical professional introductions that can shape their futures. Participating students are ambitious, enthusiastic and eager to learn – and they’re not the only ones. Volunteers too gain much from the young people they mentor and are just as invested in their success.
By helping to open doors to professional careers for first-generation students, Cargill is ensuring tomorrow’s talent is equipped to take advantage of all the opportunities in food, agriculture and sustainability that come their way.
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