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Cargill 
Tue Dec 13, 2011 at 21:05:45 PM PST
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On December 6, there was an event entitled Responding to the Global Food Crisis: A Challenge for All. It was moderated by David Beckmann of the Christian anti-hunger group Bread for the World. The panelists were:
- Asmita Tiwari, Risk Management Specialist at the World Bank
- Gawain Kripke, Director for Policy at Oxfam America
- Devry S. Boughner, Director of International Business Relations for Cargill
The event was hosted by the Bretton Woods Committee. I was not there, but I do have the video of it.
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Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 16:06:24 PM PST
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As you may have heard, Cargill's recalling a big bunch of beef. It's from their Beef Packers Inc. plant, and this is the second salmonella problem they've had this year. In the first incident (in August), they recalled 825,769 pounds of ground beef. This time they are recalling a mere 22,723 pounds of ground beef (although who knows - that number might go up). As such, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) is calling on the USDA to shut down the plant:
"Given the repeated violations of Beef Packers Inc., the USDA should close this facility and undertake a comprehensive examination into the process at Cargill-BPI to identify and correct any major problems internally or with their suppliers," DeLauro said in a news release.
The USDA probably cannot legally shut down the plant, but they can withdraw their inspectors and that will effectively shut the plant down since the plant cannot operate without USDA inspectors present.
So here's Cargill's response:
"Since Beef Packers Inc.'s voluntary product recall in August 2009, we have undertaken a comprehensive examination of our processes and believe that this review can continue without the closure of the Fresno operation," Cargill responded in a statement forwarded to Meatingplace. "This comprehensive examination has already resulted in process improvements and implementation of additional food safety enhancements at the Fresno operation. Additionally, we will be convening a panel of respected food safety and public health experts to conduct a third-party evaluation of our Fresno business."
Translation: We're fine. Nothing to see here. See, we fixed the problem in August. Please ignore the fact that we've managed to taint our meat again now in December.
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Sun Oct 04, 2009 at 10:59:49 AM PDT
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A New York Times article revealing disturbing practices at beef processors reminds us never to let down our guard when handling ground beef, lest a virulent strain of Escherichia coli, O157:H7, lead to crippling illness or death. Food scientists warn that even "a few stray cells" of this E.coli strain can cause illness. Forget about cleaning the cutting board with soap or scrubbing. You'll need bleach to remove the threat. Better yet, think of your kitchen as a biosafety lab.
The likelihood of being exposed to a food toxin is heightened by a food safety system with holes that beef processors regularly exploit. For example, meat processors are not required to check for bacteria in meat received from multiple domestic and international suppliers, and "many big slaughterhouses will sell only to grinders who agree not to test their shipments for E. coli, according to officials at two large grinding companies [NY Times]." Other problems, like filthy equipment and handling, have been around since Upton Sinclair's 1906 expose, "The Jungle.'
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Sun Apr 19, 2009 at 06:00:00 AM PDT
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Mon Dec 29, 2008 at 16:00:00 PM PST
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I'll be crying no tears for the meat companies impacted by this move...
Mexico Suspends U.S. Meat Imports
Mexico has suspended meat imports from 30 processing plants in 14 states, including Smithfield Packing Inc., which is based in North Carolina.
The news was released on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Web site.
Smithfield is the world's largest pork slaughterhouse.
According to the Associated Press, other companies that will be affected by this move are Tyson Foods, Inc., Cargill Inc., ConAgra Foods Inc., and Swift Foods Inc.
The ban could greatly affect Tyson because high feed prices have already strained its profits and Mexico represented 23 percent of its international sales in 2008.
Authorities believe the suspensions may be in retaliation for the U.S. putting a country-of-origin labeling law into effect earlier this year in response to concerns the safety of imports.
The country-of-origin labeling law mandates the separation of foreign cattle and pigs in U.S. feedlots and packing plants. Foreign animals are also now required to have more documentation about where they come from and have tags that indicate they are free of mad cow disease.
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Tue Aug 19, 2008 at 16:09:14 PM PDT
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( - promoted by Jill Richardson)
cross-posted at Bleeding Heartland
Iowa's legislature and state agencies have been notorious for doing nothing to address huge pollution problems stemming from confined-animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
But some big news came out of the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission today:
The state Environmental Protection Commission today rejected previously approved permits for two large hog confinements in Dallas County.
The surprise move came after a two-hour meeting in Urbandale at which commissioners said rules drawn up to dictate approval of large-scale confinement permits leave out important environmental considerations and neighbors' quality-of-life concerns.
"There are battle lines being drawn on this, and it creates a political situation that the Legislature cannot ignore," commission chairman Henry Marquard said.
Only a handful of permits have been denied in Iowa, but rarely has one been turned down after it met approval from the Department of Natural Resources and passed a complicated scoring system adopted by counties, including Dallas.
The nine-member commission voted to block these permits on a strong 6-2 vote. I wouldn't be surprised if the matter ends up in court, however.
Noneed4thneed wrote about the controversy over the new Dallas County CAFOs in late July:
The proposed hog confinements would have a total of 7,440 hogs in rural Dallas County, which is the fastest growing county in the state. These confinements will produce as much waste as a town of 30,000 people and it will go untreated.
Earlier this month, Dallas County Supervisors voted against allowing these proposed hog confinements, but in reality there isn't much the local people can do about the hog confinements that will be owned by the out of state company, Cargill.
We need federal legislation to make CAFOs pay for the harm they cause, because our state legislature has shown itself to be unwilling to act to protect air and water quality in Iowa.
But in the absence of federal action, a state law giving counties "local control" (agricultural zoning rights) would at least offer some protection. Some county supervisors would rubber-stamp every proposed CAFO, but others would follow the lead of the Dallas County supervisors.
For all I know, Cargill will sue to reinstate their permits to open these hog confinements. But however this story ends, it's good to see the majority of the Environmental Protection Commission's members doing something to protect the environment.
UPDATE: I learned from the online newsletter of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently denied a permit for a different proposed CAFO.
Because of the efforts of CCI members and other local residents, the DNR recently denied a 4,900-head hog factory proposed for southern Appanoose County. The permit application did not meet legal requirements, nor did their master matrix pass muster. Although the applicant for this proposed confinement is a local resident, the 4,900 hogs would have been owned by Cargill. Cargill, one of the largest privately-held corporations in the world, has been behind a number of proposed factory farms around the state, including two proposed 7,440-head hog factories in northwest Dallas County.
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Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 12:32:16 PM PDT
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International giant Cargill is one of a relatively small number of powerful corporations that control the global agricultural system (Monsanto, anyone?) Cargill, among those with the widest and deepest influence, describes itself as 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."
Cargill's history here: http://www.geocities.com/Capit...
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