What Cargill, Incorporated does

Cargill, Incorporated is a privately held, family-owned American agricultural commodities merchant and processor founded in 1865, operating across 70 countries with 155,000-160,000 employees. The company sits at the center of global agricultural supply chains, connecting farmers and producers to food, beverage, industrial, and institutional end-markets through origination, trading, processing, and distribution of grains, oilseeds, cocoa, animal feed ingredients, and other commodities. UK operations span 20 locations across England, Scotland, and Wales, including soybean and rapeseed crush plants, a 650,000 metric tonne feed ingredient terminal at Seaforth Dock, cocoa and chocolate manufacturing (Worksop, York, Liverpool), poultry processing (Wolverhampton, Hereford via Avara JV), animal nutrition premix facilities (Dalton/Provimi), and aqua feed production (Bathgate/EWOS), plus a London office for Trade & Structured Finance.

The company's core technology is an integrated agricultural supply chain platform spanning origination through delivery, supported by proprietary processing capabilities such as Envirotemp FR3 natural ester dielectric fluids (used in over 1 million transformers globally), the Anova bio-based asphalt chemistry range, and a comprehensive food ingredient portfolio including cocoa (Gerkens), hydrolyzed wheat proteins (ProwLiz), erythritol sweeteners (Zerose), and natural sweeteners (Truvia). Its animal nutrition business draws on 500+ research professionals across 17 innovation centers and 120 years of feed formulation experience, while the risk management business operates 15 offices in 11 countries with 25+ years of commodity hedging experience across grains, energy, resin, packaging, and currency markets.

Cargill generates revenue primarily through transactional, contract-based B2B sales to enterprise customers across five segments: Agricultural Commodities Trading, Food Ingredients and Bio-Industrial (with ~24,000 employees globally), Animal Nutrition Products, Protein and Salt Processing, and Financial and Risk Management Services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated based on volume, market conditions, and customer relationships, with distribution occurring through direct enterprise sales teams and integrated supply chains, augmented by UK joint ventures Frontier Agriculture (grain and oilseed origination, with ABF) and Avara Foods (poultry, with Faccenda Foods). Customer segments span food and beverage manufacturers, foodservice companies, retailers, livestock and aquaculture farmers, feed manufacturers, industrial users of energy, salt, starch, and steel, and institutional investors.

Name

Cargill, Incorporated

Legal name

Cargill, Incorporated

Website

https://cargill.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Cargill is a privately held, family-owned global agricultural commodities merchant and processor providing food, ingredients, agricultural solutions, risk management, and industrial products to enterprise B2B customers across 70 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Commodities and Food Ingredients

NAICS

Other Food Manufacturing (3119), Other Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers (424590), Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers (42449)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Grain Mill Products (2040), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Ingredients & Commodities Wholesale (Sugar, Flour, Oils, Spices) (AFAIABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

Keywords

• Agricultural commodities trading
• Food ingredient supply
• Animal nutrition products
• Commodity risk management
• Bioindustrial solutions

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Commodities Trading: Cargill buys, processes, and distributes grain, oilseeds, cotton, and other commodities globally, connecting producers and users through origination, trading, processing, and distribution services. This includes risk management solutions for commodity price volatility.
2. Food Ingredients & Bio-Industrial: Provides food and beverage manufacturers with ingredients including cocoa, chocolate, oils, fats, sweeteners, starches, proteins, and bio-industrial products. Serves approximately 24,000 employees globally in this segment.
3. Animal Nutrition Products: Sells premixes, feed additives, compound feed, and customized nutrition solutions to livestock and aquaculture farmers, feed manufacturers and distributors. Combines 120 years of experience with digital modeling and formulation solutions.
4. Protein & Salt Processing: Processes and sells beef, poultry, value-added meats, egg products, and salt for food makers, food service companies, and food retailers. Operations in US, Canada, Central America, China, Southeast Asia, and UK.
5. Financial & Risk Management Services: Provides agricultural, food, financial and energy customers with risk management and financial solutions including commodity price hedging, currency risk management, and institutional investment products.
6. Commodity Hedging Services: Risk management experts partner with customers to build commodity price risk management strategies using tailored solutions. Over 25 years of experience with 15 global offices in 11 countries serving grains, energy, resin, packaging and currency markets.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cargill is a global merchant and processor that buys, processes and distributes agricultural commodities (grain, oilseeds, cotton) and manufactures food ingredients, animal nutrition products, protein products and bioindustrial solutions for B2B customers. The company operates integrated supply chains linking farmers and end-customers across 70 countries, and also provides commodity price risk management and financial services to agricultural, food, energy and institutional clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Avara: Joint venture brand focused on fresh chicken and turkey production in the UK, formed between Cargill and Faccenda Foods in 2018.
• Frontier Agriculture
• Sun Valley
• EWOS
• Provimi
• Envirotemp FR3
• Gerkens
• ProwLiz
• Zerose

Products and services

• Animal Nutrition Premixes, feed additives, compound feed and customized nutrition solutions sold to livestock, poultry and aquaculture farmers, feed manufacturers and distributors; combines 120 years of experience with digital modeling and formulation tools.
• Food Ingredients (Cocoa, Chocolate, Oils, Fats, Starches, Sweeteners, Proteins, Hydrocolloids) Comprehensive ingredient portfolio including cocoa and chocolate, oils and fats, functional systems, hydrocolloids, lecithins, proteins, starches, sweeteners and glycerin sold to food, beverage and industrial manufacturers.
• Protein & Salt Products Processed and value-added beef, poultry, value-added meats and egg products plus salt supplied to food makers, foodservice companies and food retailers across the US, Canada, Central America, China, Southeast Asia and the UK.
• Agricultural Commodities (Grain, Oilseeds, Cotton) Origination, trading, processing and distribution of grain, oilseeds, cotton and other commodities connecting farmers and end-users globally, including farmer services.
• Bioindustrial Products (FR3 Dielectric Fluids, Anova Asphalt Solutions, Industrial Alcohol, Glycerin) Bio-based industrial solutions including FR3 natural ester dielectric fluids for power and distribution transformers, Anova asphalt rejuvenators/modifiers/warm mix additives, and Royal Nedalco industrial alcohol and glycerin for pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetics industries.
• Commodity Risk Management Services Risk management and financial solutions for agricultural, food, energy and currency customers, including commodity price hedging and institutional investment products, delivered through 15 global offices in 11 countries.
• Truvia Natural Sweetener Truvia (pronounced Tru-VEE-a) is a zero-calorie natural sweetener made from rebiana, the best-tasting part of the stevia leaf, introduced by Cargill in 2008.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million power and distribution transformers use FR3 natural ester dielectric fluids worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Avara Foods (Faccenda Foods joint venture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Cargill's poultry business combined with Faccenda Foods' existing UK operations under the Avara name, focused on fresh chicken and turkey. Equal joint venture between Cargill and Faccenda Foods.
• FareShareflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Partnership since 2009 to support access to safe, nutritious food in UK communities. Over £600,000 in funding provided, employee volunteering for food redistribution, and prior supply of fresh chicken to FareShare South West regional centre.
• Frontier Agriculture (Allied Grain/ABF joint venture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Banks Cargill Agriculture and Allied Grain (part of ABF) combined their existing UK operations trading under the name of Frontier Agriculture. Headquartered at Witham St Hughs.
• Lincoln City FC Sport & Education TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Cargill Global Food Challenge partnership in Lincolnshire area to help children learn about nutrition, healthy eating and active lifestyles.
• Country TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Cargill's Premix & Nutrition UK sites for Children's Champion Scheme helping over 330 children from communities in need experience a farm day.
• YkidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiverpool area charity partnership helping improve opportunities for children, young people and families through sports activities, kitchen gardens and meal provisions.
• Painshill ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeybridge employees supported Painshill Park efforts to promote environmental awareness and understanding of local flora and fauna among school children.
• Irwell PrideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual employee volunteer participation aboard the Irwell Pride litter boat to help clean up the River Irwell in Manchester.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): One of the 'ABCD' agricultural commodity majors alongside Cargill. Competes directly in grain/oilseed origination, trading, processing, and food ingredients (cocoa, sweeteners, flavors). Cargill acquired ADM's global chocolate business in 2015, illustrating direct competitive overlap.
• Wilmar International: Asia's leading agribusiness group with extensive oilseed crushing, edible oils, sugar, and food ingredients operations. Comparable to Cargill's oilseed processing and food ingredients businesses, with particular strength in Asia-Pacific markets where Cargill also operates.
• Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF): Thai-based integrated feed-to-food company with animal nutrition, aquaculture feed (EWOS competes directly here), and protein production. Direct overlap with Cargill's Provimi and EWOS aquafeed businesses.
• COFCO International: Chinese state-linked global agri-commodity platform with growing origination, processing, and trading footprint. Competes with Cargill across grains, oilseeds, sugar, cotton, and coffee on a global basis.
• Bunge Limited: Global agribusiness and food company with parallel grain origination, oilseed processing, and food ingredient operations. Head-to-head competitor with Cargill in soybean/rapeseed crushing, grain merchandising, and edible oils.
• Louis Dreyfus Company: Privately held commodity merchant (the 'D' in the ABCD group) operating integrated value chains in cotton, grains, oilseeds, coffee, sugar, and juice. Direct overlap with Cargill's origination and trading platform.
• Glencore Agriculture (now Viterra): Global crop merchant and processor handling grains, oilseeds, and related commodities. Directly comparable origination, storage, processing, and trading model to Cargill's agricultural supply chain segment.

Broad incumbents

• JBS S.A. Global protein processor (beef, poultry, pork, lamb) with diversified geographic operations. Comparable to Cargill's protein processing activities but narrower in scope given absence of Cargill's commodity origination and ingredients breadth.
• Tyson Foods: One of the world's largest protein producers with chicken, beef, pork, and prepared foods. Overlaps with Cargill's Protein & Salt segment but does not participate in upstream commodity origination and trading.
• Nestlé S.A. World's largest food and beverage manufacturer and a major Cargill customer. Overlaps with Cargill in cocoa/chocolate (Cargill acquired Nestlé's York cocoa plant in 2004) and broader food ingredients, though Nestlé sits downstream as a buyer of Cargill's ingredient output.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cargillriskmgmt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/showcase/cargill-risk-management/?viewAsMember=true

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cargill, Incorporated