House & Home
House and Home
House and Home
Wed, February 9, 2011
ADM to Invest in Sustainable Palm Production in Brazil
DECATUR, Ill.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) today announced plans to invest in sustainable palm production in Brazil. Spanning five years, the ADM investment will encompass approximately 12,000 hectares of palm production in the state of Par and include the construction of a palm processing plant.
"We are encouraged by the commitment of the Brazilian government to promote sustainable agricultural development that not only helps meet the growing energy demands of the country, but also improves the livelihoods of thousands of farm families through the Sustainable Fuel Stamp program"
Construction of the processing plant near So Domingos do Capima"approximately 100 miles east of Bel©m, the state capital of Para"is expected to begin in 2013, with operations commencing in 2016.
aOur strategy for profitable growth is to expand the size and global reach of our origination and processing assets,a said ADM Chairman, CEO and President Patricia Woertz. aThis investment adds a new crop to our value chain in Brazil and diversifies our feedstock options for biodiesel production there, while at the same time supporting our commitment to sustainability in terms of both agricultural production and the livelihoods of farm families in Brazil.a
ADMa™s sustainable palm and biodiesel production will also be part of Brazila™s Social Fuel Stamp program that provides incentives for biodiesel producers to purchase feedstock from small family farms. As part of this program, ADM will contract with approximately 600 family farms for 6,000 hectares of palm production and provide them with technical assistance focused on sustainable agricultural practices.
aWe are encouraged by the commitment of the Brazilian government to promote sustainable agricultural development that not only helps meet the growing energy demands of the country, but also improves the livelihoods of thousands of farm families through the Sustainable Fuel Stamp program,a said Domingo Lastra, president of ADM do Brasil Ltda. aOur investment in sustainable palm production will positively impact the lives of more than 3,000 people through higher farm incomes.a
As a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, ADM will meet all RSPO guidelines relating to the palm plantation and processing facility.
ADM in Brazil
ADM began operations in Brazil in 1997 after purchasing soybean processing plants in Rondonpolis, Campo Grande, Joaaba, Trs Passos and Paranagu. In 2002, ADM opened a fertilizer blending facility in Rondonpolis; in 2007, the company began biodiesel production in Rondonpolis; and in November 2010, ADM announced plans to construct a biodiesel plant adjacent to its existing oilseed operations in Joaaba.
Today, ADM has more than 3,000 employees in Brazil and is the largest domestic soybean meal supplier, second largest soybean crusher and second largest producer of bottled oil, with 21 percent of Brazila™s bottled oil market. The company is also the largest soybean meal exporter, the second largest exporter of soybeans and the Brazilian economya™s sixth largest exporter overall.
ADM currently operates 42 grain elevators in Brazil. In addition to four soybean processing facilities and its Rondonpolis biodiesel plant, ADM also operates a cocoa processing facility in Ilh©us, Bahia, and three fertilizer blending plants a" one in Catalo, one in Paranagu and one in Rondonpolis.
ADM Sustainability Initiatives
ADM is committed to responsible stewardship of the environment and the social and economic well being of the communities where we live and work. ADM supports the development of sustainable palm sources for the benefit of growers and customers, and is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. In Brazil, ADM has a partnership with Aliana Da Terra, a leading advocate for sustainability, to encourage Brazilian soy growers to adopt sustainable farming practices, and the company is a signatory of the Soy Moratorium, affirming our commitment to not purchase soybeans grown in recently deforested areas of the Amazon Biome.
About ADM
Every day, the 29,000 people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) turn crops into renewable products that meet the demands of a growing world. At more than 240 processing plants, we convert corn, oilseeds, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, chemical and energy uses. We operate the worlda™s premier crop origination and transportation network, connecting crops and markets in more than 60 countries. Our global headquarters is in Decatur, Illinois, and our net sales for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, were $62 billion. For more information about our Company and our products, visit [ www.adm.com ].
