How Cargill Makes Money

Cargill generates revenue by sourcing, transporting, storing, processing, and trading agricultural commodities and formulated food ingredients. In Agriculture & Trading, Cargill buys corn, wheat, soybeans, and barley from millions of farmers globally, leveraging its proprietary network of country elevators, railcars, river barges, and ocean vessels to arbitrate geographic price spreads and deliver bulk commodities to international import hubs. In Processing & Protein, Cargill crushes oilseeds into vegetable oils and meal, mills starches and corn sweeteners, and operates commercial beef and poultry processing facilities (including its joint acquisition of Sanderson Farms). In Food & Bioindustrial, Cargill formulates specialty ingredients, emulsifiers, texturizers, and renewable industrial oils for multinational consumer food packaged goods companies (Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever).

Cargill grows through strategic mega-acquisitions that consolidate protein and bio-industrial capabilities (such as the $4.5 billion joint acquisition of Sanderson Farms and the $1 billion purchase of Croda's bio-based industrial business) alongside expanding integrated deep-water port handling facilities in South America and Southeast Asia.