Cargill China, part the U.S. based provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services group, has received the U.S. Secretary of State's 2008 Award for Corporate Excellence.
The State Department initiated ACE in 1999 to recognize leadership in corporate social responsibility by U.S. companies around the world. Each year, one large and one small company are honored. Cargill China was chosen in the large company category from more than 60 nominations submitted by American ambassadors worldwide.
At a ceremony attended by Chinese Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong and other dignitaries, Under Secretary Reuben Jeffery commended Cargill for exemplary leadership in corporate responsibility to promote rural development in China.
"We are very pleased to be able to contribute to the development of the Chinese economy and society," Cargill CEO Greg Page said in receiving the award. "We recognize that our continued success is dependent upon the growth and health of our communities and partners, as well as the vitality and conservation of our natural resources. For Cargill, corporate responsibility is a process of continually improving our standards, our actions and our practices. It is a company-wide commitment to work in and with our communities to tackle complex economic, environmental and social challenges wherever we do business."