Year: 2024

Cargill halts Russian investment | MEAT+POULTRY



MINNEAPOLIS — Cargill announced March 11 that it has stopped investing in Russia and is scaling back business activities there after Russia invaded Ukraine. The same day McCormick & Co. announced it was suspending operations in Russia.

Minneapolis-based Cargill will continue to operate essential food and feed facilities in Russia.

“Food is a basic human right and should never be used as a weapon,” Cargill said. “This region plays a significant role in our global food system and is a critical source for key ingredients in basic staples like bread, infant formula and cereal.”

Cargill will support Ukrainian colleagues and humanitarian efforts in the region through the United Nation’s World Food Program, World Central Kitchen, Red Cross, Save the Children, European Food Banks Federation and CARE.

Cargill in Russia is active in grain and oilseed trading; oilseed crushing, refining, bottling and hardening; poultry processing; animal feed formulation, production and distribution; production and sales of syrup, starches and starch derivatives; food and feed ingredients sales; vital wheat gluten production; and specialty food ingredients, including texturizers.

McCormick & Co., Hunt Valley, Md., previously stopped all advertising and promotional activity and other investments in Russia. The company has paused operations in Ukraine to focus on the safety of employees and their families. McCormick & Co. is supporting the Polish Center for International Aid and the World Central Kitchen.

Several other companies in the food industry have acted in Russia.

  • AAK, Karlshamn, Sweden, has halted deliveries to and sales in Russia.
  • The Coca-Cola Co. has suspended its business in Russia.
  • Kraft Heinz Co., Pittsburgh, has suspended all new investments in Russia, all exports of Kraft Heinz products to Russia and all imports of products from Russia.
  • McCain Foods, Toronto, no longer will construct a Russian production facility in the Tula Oblast region and has suspended shipments of products into the Russian market.
  • McDonald’s Corp., Chicago, temporarily has closed all its restaurants in Russia and paused all operations in that market.
  • PepsiCo, Inc., Purchase, NY, has suspended the sale of beverages like Pepsi, 7UP and Mirinda in Russia along with suspending capital investments and all advertising.
  • Starbucks Corp., Seattle, has suspended all business activity in Russia.
  • Yum! Brands, Louisville, Ky., the owner of the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands, has suspended all investment and restaurant development in Russia. 

 



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Vietfish day one recap: Easing feed prices mean pangasius shortage now unlikely


HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — Undercurrent News is reporting live from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for the annual Vietfish trade show, held this year from Aug. 21-23. […]

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Posted on Author Categories Seafood

NCBA applauds DOD reversal on cultured meat funding



WASHINGTON – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) confirmed on July 23 that the Department of Defense (DOD) will not go forward with its proposal to look at the applications of lab-grown protein for human consumption. 

The NCBA previously made a statement in June that it was concerned about the DOD sponsoring a research grant that would develop lab-grown meat done by manufacturing company BioMADE.

“The Department of Defense can and should be on the cutting edge of science, and we respect their work to investigate defense applications for new tools and technology,” said Sigrid Johannes, senior director of government affairs at NCBA. “However, there’s a big difference between industrial or defense applications and the food we put in our bodies. US farmers and ranchers are more than capable of meeting the military’s need for high-quality protein.” 

The trade association noted that it continues to work with agriculture partners in Congress to have several amendments in the Fiscal Year 2025 Defense Appropriations bill, National Defense Authorization Act and Fiscal Year 2025 Agriculture Appropriations bill, aimed at preventing lab-grown protein from being part of military meals. 

NCBA stated that it received help from various Congress members on the matter, including Representative Don Bacon (R-NE), Representative Zach Nunn (R-IA), Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH), Representative Mary Miller (R-IL), Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE).

“After weeks of engaging with Congress and speaking out against this plan, we are thrilled to have DOD confirmation that lab-grown protein is not on the menu for our nation’s servicemembers,” said Mark Eisele, president of NCBA. “These men and women make the greatest sacrifices every day in service to our country, and they deserve high-quality, nutritious and wholesome food like real beef grown by American farmers and ranchers.”



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HPAI remains crucial to egg pricing



KANSAS CITY, MO. — Egg and egg product prices should continue to decline as cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) decline, Amy Smith, vice president, Advanced Economic Solutions, said June 6 at the Sosland Publishing Co. 45th annual Purchasing Seminar.  

“HPAI is the story,” Smith said, noting that the disease, carried by wild birds, was confirmed in all four North American flyways this year. Egg layers were the poultry segment most affected with about 30 million layers destroyed, 44% of which were in the top egg producing state of Iowa, with about 9% of the total US laying flock impacted. That compares with about 32.5 million layers affected by the 2015 HPAI outbreak. In contrast, only 2.36 million birds were culled from broiler flocks and about 5.5 million turkeys. To date, about 38 million total birds have been culled due to HPAI.

Smith noted that since June 2 (as of June 6) only one commercial flock and no laying flocks had been detected with HPAI.

“I think we’ve peaked,” she said.

The loss of laying hens sent egg and egg product prices skyrocketing from March to May. Prices for eggs have dropped sharply since mid-May, and prices for most egg products also have declined except for dried whole egg and yolk and liquid and frozen yolk. Smith noted that the industry entered the HPAI pandemic in 2022 with less dried egg product inventory than in the 2015 HPAI outbreak.

Smith forecast prices for large table eggs at $2.44 per dozen in the second quarter, at $1.93 per dozen in the third quarter and at $1.95 per dozen for the full year compared with $1.21 per dozen in 2021. She forecast dried whole egg prices at $13.70 a lb in the second quarter, $11.20 a lb in the third quarter and $9.10 a lb for the full year compared with $3.16 a lb in 2021. Dried yolk prices were forecast at $11.70 a lb in the second quarter, $8.58 a lb in the third quarter and $7.50 a lb for all of 2022 compared with $2.39 a lb in 2021.

It will take about 10 to 12 months for layer flocks to fully recover, Smith said, but the industry is facing more “headwinds” than in 2015, including more expensive pullets and feed and the move to cage-free eggs. Feed costs have risen sharply, gaining 28% from October 2021 to April 2022, Smith said. Some producers who had traditional commercial flocks may take the opportunity to convert to cage-free operations, she said.



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Posted on Author Categories Eggs

Kraft Heinz to build $400 million automated distribution center



CHICAGO — The Kraft Heinz Co. announced plans to build a $400 million automated consumer packaged goods (CPG) distribution center in DeKalb, Ill. Spanning 775,000 square feet, the facility will be one of the largest of its kind in North America, Kraft Heinz said, with a 24/7 automated storage and retrieval system.

“The DeKalb distribution center is expected to play a critical role in our larger distribution strategy, moving more than 60% of Kraft Heinz dry goods in North America through our automated facilities,” said Carlos Abrams-Rivera, Kraft Heinz executive vice president and president, North America. “It’s a testament to the dynamic, out-of-the-box thinking of our supply chain teams whose work enables us to operate with greater efficiency and agility every day.”

The new distribution center will be able to deliver double the volume to Kraft Heinz’s customers while helping to reduce the company’s environmental footprint. Through sustainable technology and reduced waste, Kraft Heinz will take a step closer to its ESG (environmental, social and governance) goals with this development.

“We’re driving end-to-end transformation across our entire supply chain, investing in automated technology and digitized solutions to increase the agility of our logistics operations,” said Erin Mitchell, vice president of logistics and head of network restructuring at Kraft Heinz. “The construction of our new DeKalb distribution center is the latest example of this transformation in action. We have designed it to help ensure the delivery of our delicious, innovative and iconic products at the right time for our customers and consumers for years to come.” 

To make Kraft Heinz’s vision a reality, the company has partnered with Trammell Crow Co., a global commercial real estate developer; Krusinski Construction Co., a general contractor; Daifuku, an integrated logistics automation provider; and the City of DeKalb and the DeKalb County Economic Development Corp. on the development of the facility. 

The facility is scheduled to be operational in 2025 and is expected to bring 150 new jobs to the DeKalb area.



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Mediator assigned for long-standing Oklahoma poultry lawsuit



OKLAHOMA CITY — Following negotiations in the last few months, a mediator was finally chosen in a yearslong poultry lawsuit in Oklahoma over environmental damage to the state’s water by poultry companies, specifically related to the Illinois River watershed and Lake Tenkiller.

US District Judge Gregory Frizzell in the Northern District of Oklahoma stated in the order of mediation that retired 10th Circuit Chief Judge Deanell Reece Tacha will oversee the proceeding going forward.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond requested the order from Frizzell following an impasse with negotiations.

In January, Frizzell ruled in favor of Oklahoma’s arguments of trespassing and public nuisance-related claims regarding several poultry companies that operated in Oklahoma.

Frizzell granted an extension in March but had a status conference scheduled for June 16.

Poultry companies recently included in the decision include Tyson Foods Inc., Cobb-Vantress Inc., Cargill Inc., George’s Farms Inc., Peterson Farms Inc., Simmons Foods Inc. and other Oklahoma subsidiaries.

The case was brought by Oklahoma in 2005 by then-Attorney General Drew Edmondson regarding improper poultry litter disposal.



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Posted on Author Categories Poultry

Cargill, Darden support rangelands conservation program



DENVER — A total of $1.5 million in grants is being distributed to restore, improve and conserve grasslands and wildlife habitats in the Intermountain West, announced the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) on Nov. 29. Matching contributions of $2.5 million will create a total impact of $4 million.

The grants are funded through the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program, the product of a partnership between NFWF, Cargill, Darden Restaurants Inc., the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management and the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

“The Intermountain West is a region rich with wildlife and unique habitats,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and chief executive officer of NFWF. “Through voluntary collaborations and impactful grants such as these, we can make major progress toward conserving and restoring this important working landscape and providing improved habitat for native species including elk, mule deer, sage-grouse and songbirds.”

Five grants are being spread across the Intermountain West, which includes habitats in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. The recipients include:

  • Pheasants Forever (receiving two grants), to (1) restore rangelands in southern and central Idaho by removing invasive annual cheatgrass and reseeding native grasses to benefit sage-grouse and other native species; and (2) remove invasive western juniper in southwestern Idaho to restore greater sage-grouse habitat. 
  • Grand Teton National Park Foundation, to restore a previously cultivated section of the Kelly Hayfields in Grand Teton National Park to benefit bison, elk, pronghorn, sage-grouse, songbirds and other native wildlife through replanting native grasses, fobs and shrubs. 
  • National Audubon Society, to implement replicable grazing/seeding techniques and infrastructure to increase native forage and protect riparian habitat to benefit greater sage-grouse and other native species in Utah and Wyoming. 
  • The Mule Deer Foundation, to enhance rangeland habitat across the Rocky Mountain Region to benefit mule deer, sage-grouse, and other native wildlife species through fencing removal, replanting native sagebrush, and management of invasive annual grasses and juniper. 

Together, the five grants will improve grazing management on 37,500 acres of land for cattle and wildlife, open wildlife migration corridors by removing or improving 28 miles of fencing, install six water tanks to provide alternate water sources for livestock, and restore more than 12,000 acres of rangelands with native grasses, forbs and brush.

NFWF said that thanks to the program’s partners, the projects funded through the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program have the potential to sequester up to 107,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents by 2030.

“Restoring and maintaining a sustainable, natural ecosystem for wildlife and livestock to cohabitate is a top priority for Cargill,” said Jeffrey Fitzpatrick, leader of Cargill’s BeefUp Sustainability Program. “As part of the BeefUp Sustainability initiative, we continue to focus our efforts on bringing together the programs and partners that can make the most significant impact on climate change. It is exactly these types of public-private partnerships, connecting the right resources to the right organizations, that support that type of environment, building an agricultural supply chain to feed the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way.” 

“At Darden, we’re committed to doing our part to protect our planet for future generations,” said Bryan Valladares, director of sustainability at Darden. “We’re proud to support the work that NFWF is leading to help promote climate resiliency by restoring grazing lands in the Rocky Mountain Rangelands and enhancing conservation projects in this vital ecosystem.”



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Saudi Exim doubles financing in first half of 2024


The Saudi Export-Import Bank (Saudi Exim) has provided 128% more financing and insurance in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The bank extended SAR16.31bn (US$4.35bn) in credit facilities and export credit insurance, which it says reflects its commitment to supporting non-oil exports from the country. Saudi Exim made export finance disbursements of SAR7.03bn (US$1.87bn) in the first six months of the year, while the value of export credit insurance policies issued during the period totalled SAR 9.28bn (US$2.47bn).

This growth was driven by the government’s support for sustainable development and economic diversification, says Saudi Exim’s CEO Saad Alkhalb in comments reported by the press agency.

Saudi Exim was launched in 2020 to help slash the oil-rich kingdom’s economic dependence on hydrocarbon exports, a key plank of  Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s plan to diversify the economy and increase inclusion in society.

According to the International Monetary Fund’s 2023 staff report on Saudi Arabia, the country has doubled non-oil revenues since 2017 thanks to “impressive mobilisation efforts”.

The IMF notes that oil and oil products made up nearly 80% of Saudi’s products and exports in 2023, but that share fell to 72.4% in May this year, according to the Saudi Arabian General Authority for Statistics (GAS).

The GAS also notes that 45% of the country’s non-oil exports in May were chemical products and plastics. Both of these categories are heavily reliant on the byproducts of oil extraction and refinement, according to the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, though they are falling as a percentage of non-oil exports.

Saudi Exim has been involved in numerous deals this year focusing on non-oil exports. In May, it extended a US$100mn credit line aimed at boosting non-oil exports to Turkey following January’s US$25mn joint credit line with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation to Pakistani lender Bank Al Habib.

More recently, Saudi Exim announced a US$10mn credit line to the Mauritanian Investment Bank to boost non-oil exports to the country as part of its plan to provide a cumulative US$10bn in funding to the continent by 2030.

Despite its expanding scale, Saudi Exim has yet to turn a profit, its 2023 annual report shows. Its cost-to-income ratio is 111%, meaning that the bank spends SAR1.11 for every SAR returned, though this is better than its 148% ratio in 2022.

The post Saudi Exim doubles financing in first half of 2024 appeared first on Global Trade Review (GTR).



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Perdue Farms hires chief commercial officer



SALISBURY, MD. – Fourth-generation, family-owned protein processor Perdue Farms announced on Feb. 27 that Todd Tillemans would work as the new chief commercial officer (CCO). 

Tillemans will focus on the company’s growth strategies, which include overseeing the marketing and sales of Perdue’s legacy brands and products while driving forward new innovations.

“Todd’s extensive experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry combined with his deep knowledge of and obsession with our consumers will help Perdue keep delivering the quality, great tasting products they expect, while also introducing exciting new innovations,” said Kevin McAdams, chief executive officer of Perdue Farms. “Todd also brings a laser-focus on excellent customer service that will be critical to deepening existing relationships with our retailers and unlocking more ways to partner as we ultimately look to better serve consumers, together.”

Tillemans previously worked as the CEO of Cynosure, a leading developer and manufacturer of light-based aesthetic and medical treatment systems. Before that, he served as the US president of The Hershey Co.

Prior to Hershey, he led multiple businesses across global markets for Unilever and, before that, held positions at General Mills.

“I’m thrilled to join the Perdue Farms team and I look forward to all that we can accomplish in partnership with our customers, on behalf of our consumers,” Tillemans said. “We have an incredible opportunity to keep accelerating growth by staying true to the company’s legacy of responsible food and agriculture while tapping even further into our associates’ spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation.”

Tillemans is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota and received his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also served in the US Marine Corps.



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Chipotle shifts restaurant design to all-electric concept



NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. – Chipotle Mexican Grill unveiled a new all-electric restaurant design that utilizes renewable energy from wind and solar power through the purchase of renewable energy credits. Restaurants with the new features recently opened in Gloucester, Va., and Jacksonville, Fla., with a third location opening later this summer in Castle Rock, Colo.

“With our aggressive development goal in North America, we hold ourselves accountable to reduce the environmental impact of our restaurants,” said Laurie Schalow, chief corporate affairs officer at Chipotle. “We are aiming to incorporate some elements of our responsible restaurant design into many of our new restaurant openings going forward.”

The concept, which Chipotle is calling “responsible restaurant design,” includes key features such as:

  • Rooftop solar panels, where feasible
  • All-electric equipment and systems to replace gas power
  • Heat pump water heaters
  • Smaller electric cookline and improved exhaust hoods compared to other Chipotle kitchens
  • Energy management systems (which have already been deployed in most existing restaurant locations)
  • Biodegradable service ware such as cutlery, straws, bowls, cups and lids
  • Cactus leather chairs
  • Artwork made from recycled rice husks  
  • Electric vehicle charging stations at select locations

Chipotle said the new restaurant design pilot will help the company progress toward its science-based targets, established in alignment with Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), to reduce direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 compared to a 2019 baseline.

Chipotle said the company will leverage new restaurant openings to scale the company’s overall impact; Chipotle has an aggressive development goal of eventually growing to 7,000 locations in North America, with plans to have more than 100 of its new locations in 2024 utilizing all-electric equipment and at least some additional elements from its new design. Chipotle added it will continue to innovate and iterate on the new design over time.

To promote the company’s sustainability initiatives, Chipotle also launched a new short film called “Human Nature” that will air as a national TV ad. The film features side-by-side shots of humans and nature, emphasizing their aesthetic similarities while conveying the importance of individuals reconnecting physically and emotionally with the environment.

“Since its founding in 1993, Chipotle’s mindset and approach to food has always been about working with — not against — nature and using real ingredients free of any artificial flavors, colors or preservatives,” said Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer. “‘Human Nature celebrates how Chipotle serves food that is both good for you and better for the planet. Strengthening our connection with nature is key to producing responsibly raised food for generations to come.”

Chipotle also published its 2022 Sustainability Report, which showcases its efforts in three categories: People, Food and Animals, and the Environment. The full report can be found here.



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