Developing Enterprise Water Targets Informed by Local Contexts: Cargill’s Approach

The document outlines a methodology for companies to set water targets based on local catchment contexts rather than just direct operations. Using Cargill as a case study, it details a process of prioritizing value chain sections, assessing risks via the Aqueduct tool suite, and setting proportional targets. Cargill committed to restoring 600 billion liters of water and reducing five million kilograms of pollutants.

• WRI and Cargill implemented a three-step process to determine contextual water targets: first, prioritizing value chain sections with the highest water dependencies or impacts; second, assessing water-related risks to prioritize specific locations; and third, setting targets proportional to the company's contribution to local water challenges.
• Cargill prioritized its direct operations and its upstream agricultural crop supply chain, identifying the latter as the most essential section due to agriculture's heavy reliance on and impact on water resources.
• To prioritize locations, WRI and Cargill used the Aqueduct tool suite to evaluate global indicators for water availability, quality, and access, while applying materiality thresholds based on the proportional share of water consumption attributable to Cargill's supply chains.
• Cargill's specific commitments include the restoration of 600 billion liters of water and the reduction of five million kilograms of water pollutants, alongside efforts to improve safe drinking water access and implement stewardship programs in priority watersheds.
• The case study highlights that for sectors like food, beverages, and textiles, the largest water footprint and risk often exist outside direct operations, necessitating the use of global models and datasets to manage data gaps across large portfolios.

APA

World Resources Institute (2020). Developing Enterprise Water Targets Informed by Local Contexts: Cargill’s Approach. https://www.wri.org/research/developing-enterprise-water-targets-informed-local-contexts-cargills-approach

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Developing Enterprise Water Targets Informed by Local Contexts: Cargill’s Approach. 2020. https://www.wri.org/research/developing-enterprise-water-targets-informed-local-contexts-cargills-approach.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Developing Enterprise Water Targets Informed by Local Contexts: Cargill’s Approach |date=2 June 2020 |url=https://www.wri.org/research/developing-enterprise-water-targets-informed-local-contexts-cargills-approach |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2020developing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Developing Enterprise Water Targets Informed by Local Contexts: Cargill’s Approach}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/developing-enterprise-water-targets-informed-local-contexts-cargills-approach}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }