Minnesota-based Cargill reducing global staffing by 5%

Cargill, the large food and agriculture company headquartered in Wayzata, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that it is reducing its overall staffing.

The statement says it is cutting its global workforce by 5% to “realign our talent and resources” with its strategy. Those layoffs include 475 employees at the company’s Wayzata offices beginning in February, according to a notice sent to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

The full Cargill statement on reducing the workforce is as follows:

For nearly 160 years, Cargill has been a critical connector of the global food system. Earlier this year, we set a long-term strategy that continues that legacy, while carrying forward the values and core strengths that have defined our success from the beginning. As we look to the future, we have laid out a clear plan to evolve and strengthen our portfolio to take advantage of compelling trends in front of us, maximize our competitiveness, and, above all, continue to deliver for our customers. As the world around us changes, we are committed to transforming even faster to deliver for our customers and fulfil our purpose of nourishing the world.

To strengthen Cargill’s impact, we must realign our talent and resources to align with our strategy. Unfortunately, that means reducing our global workforce by approximately 5 percent. This difficult decision was not made lightly. We will lean on our core value of putting people first as we support our colleagues during this transition.