Bunge Global SA
Company History
Bunge History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1818 in Chesterfield, Missouri
When was Bunge founded?
Bunge was founded in 1818 in Chesterfield, Missouri by Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge, making it 208 years old.
- Founded
- 1818
- Founding place
- Chesterfield, Missouri
- Founders
- Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge
- Headquarters today
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Milestones documented
- 26 (1818–2026)
- Current CEO
- Gregory A. Heckman
- Acquisitions
- 5
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1818 | Bunge & Co. founded in Amsterdam |
| 1859 | Edouard Bunge moves the firm to Antwerp |
| 1884 | Bunge y Born launched in Argentina |
| 1905 | Expansion into Brazil |
| 1918 | Trading begins in North America |
| 1997 | Ceval makes Bunge Brazil's top soy processor |
| 2001 | NYSE listing and a US headquarters |
| 2002 | Cereol acquisition |
| 2005 | First soybean plant in China |
| 2010 | Entry into sugar and ethanol |
| 2018 | Loders Croklaan and a bicentennial |
| 2018 | Activist investors reshape the board |
| 2019 | Gregory Heckman becomes CEO |
| 2019 | Headquarters move to St. Louis and BP sugar venture |
| 2021 | Chevron renewable feedstock venture announced |
| 2023 | Added to the S&P 500 |
| 2023 | Viterra merger agreed |
| 2023 | Redomiciled to Switzerland |
| 2024 | Exit from sugar and bioenergy |
| 2025 | Canada approves the Viterra deal with conditions |
| 2025 | North American corn milling sold |
| 2025 | Viterra merger completed |
| 2026 | IFF soy protein and lecithin businesses acquired |
| 2026 | Investor Day sets 2030 earnings target |
| 2026 | Guidance raised after a strong second quarter |
| 2026 | Sugar mills to be sold to COFCO International |
- Where was Bunge founded?
- Bunge was founded in Chesterfield, Missouri in 1818.
- Who founded Bunge?
- Bunge was founded by Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge.
- When did Bunge start?
- Bunge was founded in 1818.
- How old is Bunge?
- Bunge is 208 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge founded Bunge & Co. as an import-export trading house in Amsterdam in 1818. His grandsons took the business abroad: Edouard Bunge moved the firm's base to Antwerp in 1859, and Ernest Bunge went to Argentina, where in 1884 he and the Born family launched the grain trading company that became Bunge y Born. Argentina was turning into a major grain exporter, and the venture grew into elevators, flour milling and export logistics. Bunge expanded into Brazil in 1905 and began trading in North America in 1918. For most of the 20th century it was a privately held agribusiness and food conglomerate centred on South America; a restructuring from 1993 to 1997 refocused it on agribusiness, and it listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2001.
Founders
Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge
Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge founded Bunge & Co. in Amsterdam in 1818 as an import-export house. The business stayed in the family, and his grandsons turned it into an international grain company: Edouard Bunge moved its base to Antwerp in 1859, and Ernest Bunge went to Argentina, where in 1884 he and the Born family started the grain trading company that became Bunge y Born. That venture built elevators, mills and export logistics as Argentina became a leading grain exporter, then expanded into Brazil in 1905 and North America in 1918. The company stayed privately held for 183 years, until its 2001 listing on the New York Stock Exchange, and still carries the founder's surname more than two centuries later.
Key Milestones
Bunge & Co. founded in Amsterdam
Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge set up Bunge & Co. in Amsterdam as an import-export trading house, the business that still carries his name.
Source: bunge.comEdouard Bunge moves the firm to Antwerp
The founder's grandson Edouard Bunge relocated the company to Antwerp, Belgium, one of Europe's busiest ports for colonial and grain trade.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgBunge y Born launched in Argentina
Ernest Bunge and the Born family started a grain trading company in Buenos Aires as Argentina emerged as a major grain exporter. Bunge y Born grew into elevators, flour mills and export logistics.
Source: bunge.comExpansion into Brazil
Bunge extended its South American business into Brazil, which later became its most important origin for soybeans.
Source: bunge.comTrading begins in North America
Bunge started trading in North America, the world's largest agricultural market.
Source: bunge.comCeval makes Bunge Brazil's top soy processor
After a 1993 to 1997 restructuring that refocused the group on agribusiness, Bunge acquired Ceval, the largest soybean processor in Brazil. Acquisitions and organic growth over the next seven years made it the largest soy processor in South America.
Source: bunge.comNYSE listing and a US headquarters
Bunge Limited listed on the New York Stock Exchange in August 2001 under the ticker BG and moved its headquarters from São Paulo to the New York area, ending 183 years of private ownership.
Source: bunge.comCereol acquisition
Bunge bought 55 percent of French oilseed processor Cereol from Italy's Edison for ~$508 million (449.2 million euros) and then the publicly held shares. Cereol brought Central Soya in the US, leading oil brands in Europe and Canada's largest canola crushing capacity, making Bunge the world's largest soybean processor and bottled oil supplier.
Source: bunge.comFirst soybean plant in China
Bunge opened its first soybean processing plant in China, the world's largest soybean importer.
Source: bunge.comEntry into sugar and ethanol
Bunge entered the sugar business in Brazil, a diversification it later moved into a joint venture with BP in 2019 and exited in 2024.
Source: bunge.comLoders Croklaan and a bicentennial
Bunge completed its purchase of 70 percent of IOI Loders Croklaan, a specialty palm and tropical oils business, for $946 million, and marked 200 years since its founding.
Source: bunge.comActivist investors reshape the board
Under pressure from investors D.E. Shaw and Continental Grain, Bunge added three directors in October 2018, including Gregory Heckman. On 10 December 2018 it said CEO Soren Schroder would step down.
Source: globalaginvesting.comGregory Heckman becomes CEO
Heckman was named acting CEO on 22 January 2019 and appointed chief executive in April 2019, starting a review of the portfolio and a shift to global value chains.
Source: investors.bunge.comHeadquarters move to St. Louis and BP sugar venture
Bunge moved its global headquarters from White Plains, New York, to the St. Louis area and combined its Brazilian sugar and bioenergy business with BP's in a 50/50 joint venture.
Source: bunge.comChevron renewable feedstock venture announced
Bunge and Chevron announced a joint venture to supply soybean oil for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel from Bunge's crushing plants in Destrehan, Louisiana, and Cairo, Illinois.
Source: bunge.comAdded to the S&P 500
Bunge replaced Signature Bank in the S&P 500 effective 15 March 2023.
Source: prnewswire.comViterra merger agreed
On 13 June 2023 Bunge agreed to combine with Viterra, the grain handler owned by Glencore, CPP Investments and British Columbia Investment Management, for Bunge shares and about $2 billion in cash.
Source: glencore.comRedomiciled to Switzerland
Bunge moved its place of incorporation from Bermuda to Switzerland in November 2023, becoming Bunge Global SA with a registered office in Geneva while keeping its headquarters in St. Louis.
Source: sec.govExit from sugar and bioenergy
On 1 October 2024 Bunge completed the sale of its 50 percent stake in BP Bunge Bioenergia to bp, a stake valued at about $1.4 billion in enterprise value.
Source: investors.bunge.comCanada approves the Viterra deal with conditions
Canada's government approved the merger on 14 January 2025, requiring Bunge to sell six Western Canadian grain elevators, invest at least ~$374 million (C$520 million) in Canada within five years and keep a Canadian head office in Regina.
Source: canada.caNorth American corn milling sold
Bunge completed the sale of its North American dry corn and corn masa milling business to flour miller Grain Craft on 1 July 2025.
Source: investors.bunge.comViterra merger completed
The Viterra merger closed on 2 July 2025 after China's approval. Glencore received about 32.8 million Bunge shares, 16.4 percent of the enlarged company, and about $900 million in cash.
Source: investors.bunge.comIFF soy protein and lecithin businesses acquired
On 2 March 2026 Bunge closed its purchase of IFF's soy protein concentrate, lecithin and soy crush businesses, including the Response, Alpha, Procon and Solec brands.
Source: investors.bunge.comInvestor Day sets 2030 earnings target
At its 10 March 2026 Investor Day Bunge set a mid-cycle EPS baseline of about $13, a goal of at least $15 by the end of 2030 and a new $3 billion share repurchase programme.
Source: investors.bunge.comGuidance raised after a strong second quarter
Bunge reported second-quarter net income of $678 million on 29 July 2026, completed its $2 billion Viterra-related buyback and raised 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $9.25 to $9.75.
Source: investors.bunge.comSugar mills to be sold to COFCO International
On 1 September 2026 Bunge agreed to sell the Rio Vermelho and Nova Unialco sugarcane mills in São Paulo state, inherited from Viterra, to COFCO International, subject to regulatory approval.
Source: investors.bunge.comMajor Acquisitions
Viterra Limited
2025To add grain origination, storage and export capacity in Canada, Australia, Argentina and the Black Sea, where Bunge was smaller than Cargill and ADM, and to connect that grain handling to Bunge's crushing and destination sales. The $8.2 billion figure is the equity consideration: about 65.6 million Bunge shares, worth about $6.2 billion at the June 2023 announcement, plus about $2 billion in cash. Bunge also took on about $9.8 billion of Viterra debt.
IFF soy protein concentrate, lecithin and soy crush businesses
2026To broaden Bunge's food ingredients range for customers developing higher-protein products in bakery, snacks, meat and meat alternatives, and to round out its lecithin line.
IOI Loders Croklaan (70 percent stake)
2018To build a specialty palm and tropical oils business for confectionery, bakery and other food customers, bought from Malaysian palm oil producer IOI Corporation.
Cereol S.A.
2002To become the world's largest soybean processor. Bunge paid Italy's Edison 449.2 million euros, about $440 million, for 55 percent of the French oilseed processor and then offered about $375 million for the publicly held 45 percent; the value shown is the sum of those two equity payments.
Ceval Alimentos
1997To take the lead in Brazilian soybean processing as the group refocused on agribusiness after its 1993 to 1997 restructuring.
Keep researching Bunge
Bunge Company History FAQ
When and where was Bunge founded?
Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge founded Bunge & Co. in Amsterdam in 1818 as an import-export trading house. That makes Bunge the oldest of the four 'ABCD' grain traders.
What was Bunge y Born?
The grain trading company Ernest Bunge started in Buenos Aires with the Born family in 1884. It grew into elevators, flour mills and export logistics as Argentina became a major grain exporter, and for much of the 20th century it was one of Argentina's largest industrial groups.
When did Bunge go public?
Bunge Limited listed on the New York Stock Exchange in August 2001 under the ticker BG, after 183 years of private ownership, and moved its headquarters from São Paulo to the New York area.
When did Bunge move to St. Louis and Switzerland?
Bunge moved its global headquarters from White Plains, New York, to the St. Louis area in 2019. In November 2023 it moved its place of incorporation from Bermuda to Switzerland and became Bunge Global SA, with a registered office in Geneva.
What changed for Bunge in 2025 and 2026?
Bunge closed its merger with Viterra on 2 July 2025, nearly doubling its grain volumes. In 2026 it bought IFF's soy protein concentrate and lecithin businesses, set a target of at least $15 of mid-cycle EPS by 2030 and agreed to sell two Brazilian sugar mills to COFCO International.
When was Bunge founded?
Bunge was founded in 1818 in Amsterdam by Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge. The company eventually relocated to Argentina in the late 1800s, becoming absolutely dominant in South American grain exports before moving to the US.
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