Major fertilizer industry players last week were busy providing aid to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. PotashCorp told Green Markets on Jan. 14 that it would be giving $500,000, with $250,000 going to CARE Canada and $250,000 to the Canadian Red Cross. A company spokesman said there was a possibility that the Canadian government would be matching company donations.
The Mosaic Co. said on Jan. 15 that it will provide a $500,000 contribution, which will include both immediate and long-term assistance, supporting emergency medical services, triage, and mobile communications. Mosaic will contribute $125,000 to each of the following four organizations: Canadian Red Cross, American Refugee Committee, American Red Cross, and International Red Cross. The company also said it will match contributions for each of its 7,400 global employees to relief organizations working to rebuild Haiti.
“As a global company whose mission is to help the world grow the food it needs, our employees everywhere share a great concern for the Haitian people,” said Jim Prokopanko, Mosaic’s president and CEO. “We are partnering with relief organizations that are making an immediate impact, as well as providing a long-term commitment to rebuilding Haiti.”
Cargill Inc., which owns about two-thirds of Mosaic, said it was making an initial corporate donation of $50,000 that will be directed to long-time Cargill partners CARE and the World Food Programme, which have significant operations in the country.
In the Twin Cities, Cargill volunteers at its headquarters facility will be packaging 20,000 meals on Jan. 18 for the nonprofit Kids Against Hunger, which will be sent directly to people in Haiti. Cargill volunteers will be packaging an additional 30,000 meals over the next month.
While Cargill said it has no facilities in Haiti, it does have customers in the country.
Agrium Inc. said it would be supporting relief efforts by funding food through an organization called Friends of the World Food Program. Agrium has donated $20,000.
Industry players also made major donations to tsunami relief efforts some five years ago (GM Jan. 17, 2005).