Cargill to cut 5% of global workforce
WORLD – Cargill, the US-based agricultural and food giant, is reducing its global workforce by 5%, translating to approximately 8,000 jobs.
The company, headquartered in Minnesota, disclosed the decision as part of a new strategy implemented this year but provided limited details on the rationale behind the layoffs.
In a statement, the privately held company said the move was essential to align its workforce with its updated business goals.
“To strengthen Cargill’s impact, we must realign our talent and resources to align with our strategy,” the statement read.
“Unfortunately, this means reducing our global workforce by about 5%. This difficult decision was not made lightly. We will support our employees through this transition while adhering to our core value of putting people first.”
Under the leadership of CEO Brian Sikes, Cargill restructured its operations in 2024, consolidating five business units into three: food enterprise, agriculture and trading, and a specialized portfolio.
According to the company’s latest annual report, Cargill employs 160,000 people across 70 countries, generating US$160 billion in revenue in 2024.
This marks a decrease from $177 billion in 2023 and $165 billion in 2022.
Cargill’s portfolio includes significant roles in beef, poultry, eggs, and plant-based proteins.
In the US, the company is a key supplier of cage-free eggs to McDonald’s and provides cocoa to Nestlé for products like KitKat.
The company also emphasized its ongoing efforts to adapt to changing market conditions. “We have outlined a clear plan to evolve and strengthen our portfolio to capitalize on emerging trends, increase competitiveness, and continue serving our customers,” the statement added.
Recent business developments include selling its Konspol poultry operation in Poland to France’s LDC, offloading a sausage facility to Smithfield Foods, and divesting a California beef plant to Central Valley Meats.
Internationally, Cargill operates joint ventures like C-Joy with Jollibee Foods in the Philippines and PT Cahaya Gunung Foods in Indonesia with Japfa.
In the UK, it co-owns poultry supplier Avara Foods, which shuttered two factories last year.
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