WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 7, 2022 – Today, Global Water Challenge (GWC) and Cargill announced the launch of six new partnerships with leading water stewardship organizations in the U.S.  The new program managed by GWC, Cargill Currents North America, is partnering with non-profit organizations to address water challenges faced by communities in Cargill’s priority U.S. watersheds.

The selected partners and programs include (in alphabetical order):

Bonneville Environmental Foundation focuses on water, carbon, and energy solutions that help to combat climate change and water scarcity. The selected project, executed in partnership with the National Forests Foundation and U.S. Forest Service in Texas, will restore natural ecological function in a key headwaters area of the upper Trinity River in Texas.

International Water Institute fosters watershed stewardship through leadership in decision support, environmental monitoring and educational programming. Through the Cargill Currents North America program, they will deploy their Stewardship Program in North Dakota and provide programming focused on water stewardship and quality through efficient farming practices, education, and improved soil health.

Kansas Alliance for Wetlands & Streams connects the lands, waters, and people of Kansas. Their Cargill Currents North America project will enhance, restore, and protect the Upper Arkansas River watershed by removing invasive species while improving watershed health, educating landowners on water use efficiencies, and demonstrating to agencies and water professionals the water technologies in use and conservation practices available in the watershed.

Ohio River Foundation is dedicated to protecting and improving the water quality and ecology of the Ohio River and all waters in its 14-state watershed. Through this program, Ohio River Foundation will focus on restoration activities designed to create and restore climate change-resilient riparian habitats. They will work to decrease sedimentation and mitigate pollution of water systems while building awareness through community partner and volunteer involvement.

River Partners connects a bold vision of bringing life back to California’s rivers and communities with the on-the-ground work of rebuilding wild places, creating homes for wildlife, and improving landscapes for the benefit of future generations. The San Joaquin River basin is the focus of the Cargill Currents North America project. River Partners will reconnect and restore four critical floodplains, engage and empower local communities, and promote science and education through local universities and policymakers.

Three Rivers Land Trust aims to protect and conserve land, natural areas, rural landscapes, family farms, and historic places within North Carolina. The organization will implement an outreach program to landowners along the Cape Fear River and pursue conservation opportunities through the Cargill Currents North America program.

“Cargill is dedicated to protecting natural resources through connection and collaboration in all of the communities where we operate,” said Pete Stoddart, North American Director of Corporate Responsibility at Cargill.  “These new partnerships contribute to the wellbeing of our communities and help advance progress in priority watersheds, aligned with our global water ambition.”

“Global Water Challenge salutes the local actions taken by these leading partners to improve watersheds and community resilience throughout the U.S.,” said Monica Ellis, CEO of GWC.

Cargill’s global ambition is to achieve sustainable water management in all its priority watersheds in operations and supply chains by 2030. Across the world, Cargill is dedicated to effectively balancing and addressing the shared water challenges of availability, quality, and access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), using an approach that is informed by local context. You can learn more about Cargill’s commitment to water here.

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Media Contacts:

Cargill: media@cargill.com

Global Water Challenge: jenny.bennett@globalwaterchallenge.org

About Cargill

Cargill’s 155,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 156 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

About Cargill Currents

Launched in 2021 and managed by Global Water Challenge (GWC), Cargill Currents is a community water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) program that aims to address local water challenges faced by communities in over half of Cargill’s 25 priority watersheds for water access. The program will seek to build climate and community resilience, promote economic development, and deliver multiple socio-economic benefits beyond just water access. Initial investments will directly support water access activities in Cameroon, Ghana, and Ivory Coast with a second slate of projects to be implemented in additional geographies – including Brazil and India. The program is expected to benefit up to 150,000 people with improved water access by the end of 2024. Cargill Currents North America is an expansion of the Cargill Currents program to support North American water security across Cargill’s priority watersheds in this region.

Global Water Challenge (GWC)

Global Water Challenge (GWC) is a coalition of leading organizations deploying expertise and networks to advance global water security and achieve universal access to safe and affordable drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in communities around the world. Since 2006, GWC has positively impacted nearly 3 million across Africa, the Americas and Asia with clean water access and its campaigns, tools, data, and best practices reach millions more. In collaboration with multi-sector partners, GWC engages for action – catalyzing financial resources and driving innovative programming for sustainable, local solutions. For more information, please visit globalwaterchallenge.org.