Partnerships can propel the SDGs forward Partnerships can propel the SDGs forward By Michelle Grogg Partnerships in the more traditional sense allow us
to directly engage communities around our workplaces
as well as growers, farmer cooperatives, and industry
groups to identify new opportunities for growth and
market access. We've seen the tremendous impact that
open markets can have in developing countries and the
impact that we can have by joining with others who
share our vision and purpose.
Take for example our partnership with CARE
International. It started more than 50 years ago and
it melds Cargill's expertise in food and agriculture
with CARE's decades of success in community-led rural
development. Partnering with CARE enables us to
address critical social and sustainability issues in
areas where we operate - the same communities where
our employees live and where their children attend
school. It directly connects our social
responsibility and business interests. I believe this
has been critical to its success.
In the past 10 years alone, Cargill and CARE have
reached 2.2 million people building resilient
communities in 10 countries. Among those who have
benefited are women who have developed
microenterprises or joined village savings and loan
programs resulting in increased financial security.
Trade has an important role in sustainable
development. Cargill's Devry Boughner Vorwerk
explains at Devex World 2018. Partnerships allow
companies to gain critical external insights,
expanding our viewpoints, and understanding of key
issues. Importantly, they also connect competitors,
peers, governments, and NGOs to tackle complex
challenges together, build systemic change, and
unlock change at scale.
Cargill has a rich history of working with others to
identify solutions to shared challenges - from
improving nutrition security and reducing food loss
and waste, with partners such as Gastromotiva, the
World Food Programme, and food banks around the
world; to protecting forests in partnership with The
Nature Conservancy and World Resources Institute; to
advocating for women's empowerment and gender equity
with ONE and, of course, CARE. When it comes to
addressing issues such as food insecurity or women's
empowerment, we won't get there alone. Sustainable
Development Goal 17 calls on us to encourage and
promote effective public, private, and civil society
partnerships. It creates a true connection between
each of the SDGs and each of our organizations.
Without partnerships and collaboration, none of the
other SDGs will be realized.
"Partnerships allow companies to gain critical
external insights, expanding our viewpoints, and
understanding of key issues. Importantly, they also
connect competitors, peers, governments, and NGOs to
tackle complex challenges."
Reflecting on the last decade of collaboration with
CARE, three key themes arise in terms of what's made
it a success:
1. Impact: It's natural to get caught up in a
specific program design or output, but we've been
most successful when we focus on the end goal and
leverage our collective expertise to figure out the
best way to get there. Strategic partners such as the
one with CARE help us think broadly but practically
so that we can collectively move the needle on
significant issues in a systematic way.
2. Local voices: Around the world and with our
partners, we include local community members in our
planning process so their voices are represented and
they are part of, and often lead, the process. This
ensures long-term commitment at a local level but
also helps to identify the most viable solutions -
which can differ greatly from community to community
based on local infrastructure, market access, or
culture.
3. Partner relationship: Like any successful
engagement, the people behind the programs are key.
We really took the time up front to develop our
relationship and ensure our goals were aligned.
Something as simple as terminology can throw a
conversation off-track, so we've taken time to
understand the other's language and behaviors.
Why is trade so critical to achieving the SDGs?
Cargill's Devry Boughner Vorwerk discusses. As we
look ahead to further collaboration, I encourage us
all to continue to evolve our partnerships by
exploring new ways of working, including unique
funding mechanisms, uncommon collaborations, and
utilization of technology to scale our work even
further. Long-term, sustainable impact requires
collectively defining what success looks like;
determining the role and expertise various partners
can play, including NGOs, governments, donors,
industry and, most importantly, local community
members and beneficiaries; and agreeing on a common
set of measures to track progress. It also requires a
willingness to learn, adapt, and change course when
necessary.
There's power in partnerships. Now, it's up to each
of us to embrace it and work together - across
sectors, geographies, and industries - to drive the
SDGs forward. Because when we drive the SDGs forward,
we make critical progress on our chief ambition: To
help the world thrive.
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