A Silent Giant Looms

http://www.startribune.com/business/35515674.html

Francis Wingert, left, and Kent Ekstrom visited a Cargill research farm in Elk River in 1981, where scientists were testing hog feed.

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Our Hungry Planet: Cargill looms as a silent giant

Veiled in secrecy, the Minnetonka-based conglomerate -- with $120 billion in annual revenues -- holds much sway over world food costs.

By CHRIS SERRES, Star Tribune

Last update: December 4, 2008 - 3:55 PM

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Interactive: Explore a map showing the world's undernourished nations and its arable land.

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Cargill sells most of there product through chain restaurants like McDonalds. If you don't like there product buy local goods. You'll find … read more them both more expensive and generally of higher quality and nutritional value. Grow a garden. Don't eat junk food. But, Cargill doesn't do anything but sell what people will tolerate. Most of the recent food price increases are due to fuel prices anyway. Farming takes a lot of fuel, and everything needs to be shipped somewhere. Fertilizer is made from crude oil components. If you don't like the price of fertilizer use sustainable farming practices. This make for realy tasty healthy food, but it's not cheap. If you want cheap eat at McDonalds.

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Cargill silos in Duluth-Superior Harbor

Star Tribune

• For Cargill, going public carries price of scrutiny

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Audio slide show: Historic look at Cargill empire

One day last April, in an impassioned call for action, the president of the World Bank declared that 100 million people worldwide would fall deeper into extreme hunger and poverty. The reason: Higher food prices.

The next morning, at the stately headquarters of Cargill Inc. near the wooded shores of Lake Minnetonka, executives celebrated their most profitable quarter in history. The reason: High food prices.

The giant food and agricultural company, along with others in the industry, became a corporate punching bag for human rights...