Cargill Receives Award for Supporting Cocoa Farmers as Sustainable Cocoa Certification Reaches 11,000 Farmers

COBHAM, England, December 2, 2010 - Cargill’s work to improve livelihoods for cocoa farmers and their
families in Africa, Asia and South America has earned it the U.S. Chamber
Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) 2010 International Community Service
award. The award coincides with 21 cooperatives in Cote d’Ivoire, with over
11,000 farmer members, achieving independent sustainable cocoa certification
as a result of Cargill’s Farmer Field Schools program.

The International Community Service award recognizes an
honoree for contributing to positive economic and social development in a
country outside the United States. Stephen Jordan, U.S. Chamber BCLC’s
Executive Director said: "Cargill’s support for cocoa farmers is a classic
example of how it does well by doing good. That’s why we’re proud to honour
Cargill with the 2010 International Community Service Award."

All 21 farmer cooperatives have received certification under
UTZ Certified sustainable cocoa program after successfully completing 10
months of intensive training conducted through a network of 300 Cargill
Farmer Field Schools in Cote d’Ivoire. The schools help small-scale farmers
improve agricultural, environmental and social practices in cocoa production
and to achieve UTZ Certification. The auditing is executed by independent
certification bodies to ensure the highest level of credibility.

With demand from consumers for sustainable chocolate rising
worldwide Cargill, a major originator of cocoa beans and producer of high
quality chocolate co-founded the UTZ Certified cocoa program along with Dutch
development organisation Solidaridad and others in the sector to ensure that
cocoa is grown sustainably.

As a result of training and certification, farmers are
benefitting from an increase in their incomes from higher yields and improved
crop quality. More than 10,000 tonnes of cocoa beans will be available by the
end of this year to be used in sustainably certified, high quality chocolate
and cocoa products. Cargill expects a total 60 cooperatives to be certified
and the volume of cocoa beans to triple by the end of 2011 as training
expands in Cote d’Ivoire and other cocoa producing countries in West Africa
and Asia.

Already by the end of 2010, Cargill will have 25,000 farmers
in various training programmes in Cote d’Ivoire and it is expanding to
support tens of thousands more farmers over the coming years as part of a
three-year $5-million commitment to support sustainable cocoa in Cote
d’Ivoire and Ghana.

Harold Poelma, managing director cocoa, Cargill Cocoa &
Chocolate, commented: "As well as achieving certification, providing training
and support enables farmers to increase yields, improve quality and through
these - most importantly - increase their incomes by up to 30 per cent. We
are extremely pleased to see that our efforts to raise incomes and living
standards, as well as strengthen communities have been recognised by the U.S.
Chamber."

Farmers taking part in Cargill’s Farmer Field Schools are
trained in good and safe practices that focus on farming techniques and
post-harvest activities such as pruning, plantation renewal and cocoa
fermentation methods and the correct application of pesticides and
fertilisers.

Commenting on the training, Cote d’Ivoire cocoa farmer Therese
N’Guessan said: "During the training we are taught to prune dry wood on cocoa
trees, remove dry pods, and then to remove the black pods infected by fungus.
Now I have done this I can see a major change in my field today, compared to
how it was before."

About Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate:

Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate offers the food industry a wide range of both
standard and customised cocoa and chocolate ingredients to be used in
delicious bakery, confectionery, and dairy applications.

As a leading provider of high quality chocolate and cocoa offerings
across Europe and all over the world, the company’s extensive product range
includes premium Gerkens(R) cocoa powders, chocolate, including Wilbur(R),
Peter’s(R), Veliche(R) coatings, fillings, cocoa liquors and cocoa butters.
With years of experience in technical food expertise Cargill supports its
customers in new recipes and new product development.

Our facilities in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cote d’Ivoire, France,
Germany, Ghana, the Netherlands, UK and the USA are fully dedicated to
produce in accordance with the highest food safety standards.

To secure a good quality and sustainable supply of cocoa beans we have
our own cocoa bean sourcing operations for buying, handling and/or exporting
of cocoa beans in Brazil, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Presence in all the leading producing countries allows Cargill to oversee the
supply chain from beans at origin to cocoa and chocolate products on our
customers’ doorstep. In addition, extensive market research and analysis
proves to be a source of valuable information to our customers.

For more information visit: for EMEA
www.cargillcocoachocolate.com and for North America
www.cargill.com/food/cocoachocolate

About Cargill:

Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food,
agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in
1865, the privately held company employs 131,000 people in 66 countries.

Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and
innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience
to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does
business. For more information, visit www.cargill.com

www.cargill.com/news-center/index.jsp

    CONTACT: 

    Floyd Jebson,
    +44-1869-353-813,
    floyd.jebson@razor-pr.com

    Wendy Garbutt,
    +44-1932-861-168,
    wendy_garbutt@cargill.com

CONTACT: Floyd Jebson, +44-1869-353-813, floyd.jebson at razor-pr.com;
Wendy Garbutt, +44-1932-861-168, wendy_garbutt at cargill.com