Indonesia: Cargill supports Indonesian earthquake recovery

Cargill announced June 15 that the company and its Indonesian businesses and employees have committed more than US$140,000 to support relief efforts and long-term rebuilding projects in Indonesia following the May 27 earthquake that killed nearly 6,000 people and left more than 650,000 homeless. None of Cargill’s 9,400 employees in Indonesia were injured in the disaster.

The magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck near the densely populated city of Yogyakarta on the island of Java and leveled entire villages in many areas. The number of Indonesians homeless is more than those displaced in Indonesia’s Aceh province after the devastating December 2004 tsunami, according to officials with CARE, the international humanitarian relief organization.

Cargill, directly and through its business units in Indonesia, supported relief efforts provided by the Red Cross, Mercy Relief and the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity and is matching employee donations made to the Red Cross through Cargill’s Natural Disaster Relief Program. Cargill will continue to monitor relief efforts and work with its aid partners on long-term rebuilding opportunities in the months ahead.

“Our employees in Indonesia immediately responded to the need of their fellow citizens for assistance, and we are proud to support our long-time partners as they provide much-needed assistance on Java,” said Paul Conway, Cargill corporate vice president and regional director, Asia. “Our goal is to help those unfortunately affected by this disaster rebuild their communities and restore their lives.”

Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 142,000 employees in 61 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. Cargill contributes more than US$30 million a year globally to enrich the communities where its employees live and work. Cargill has been active in Indonesia since 1972. Cargill has animal feed, cocoa, copra, and palm operations in the country.

16 June, 2006