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Cargill: The Worst Company in the World

stories.mightyearth.org

71–80 of 91 posts

Re: Cargill: The Worst Company in the World

#71
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. I’ve often thought that the banes of regulatory arbitrage and labour arbitrage could be simultaneously killed by allowing the free movement of people across borders. It’s strange to me that corporations and money can cross borders easier than people.

This is ultimately one of the underlying principles of the EU, or at least the single market.

And it's not a simple issue. Free movement works well for people who are comfortably off, but tends to trash the economies of those left behind. I don't think FoM is a full solution.

The end state is the end of nation states, and especially competitive nation state economies. Not only would this create a multi-trillion dollar peace dividend which could be spent on original R&D and social investment of all kinds, it would also create a massive wealth equalisation, end many of the more obvious and pointless kinds of wealth speculation, and create a global wealth boom, as location became much less important than talent and imagination.

Re: Cargill: The Worst Company in the World

#72
post #27

If you're actually interested in reading this report as opposed to struggling through the web presentation, this is the link to the PDF: http://www.mightyearth.org/wp-content/uploads/Mighty-Earth-R... This piece did inadvertently introduce me to Shorthand, which tells me that "the world's most successful digital storytelling teams" are using it to "create simply beautiful stories using" Shorthand's "beautifully simpl…

Wow. Did they ever try reading the text on their shiny responsive layout on mobile? Over half my screen is covered in overlays.

That explains why I waited a minute for it to display anything over 2g before I gave up...

Re: Cargill: The Worst Company in the World

#74
post #70
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Globalization isn’t necessarily the problem. It’s the rules surrounding trade that perpetuates the problem you outlined. Except I believe the lack of rules, and the specific anti-regulatory pressures of modern neoliberal economic rationalists are one of the underlying axioms of globalization as implemented: Its not a coincidence, it was designed into the DNA.

If tomorrow laws were passed that the entire lifecycle of a product sold in a country must fully respect the laws of that country (e.g. a banana sold in the US would have to be grown, transported, etc. according to US rules and regulations, or in other words as if it was done inside the US) then you could guarantee such abuses done on the other side of the world would at least be illegal and hold the company in the U…

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Re: Cargill: The Worst Company in the World

#75

They'll do exactly as much damage as they can get away with. If there's no regulation standing in their way, or the potential profits outweigh the consequences, of course they'll continue their malfeasance. I don't know why this is surprising to anyone. The nature of any corporation is to act in its own self-interest. I guess Mighty Earth is doing what they can, but it's like raking leaves in the forest, in the middl…

If there's no regulation standing in their way, or the potential profits outweigh the consequences, of course they'll continue their malfeasance Well, yes, but that’s really “if voters and customers are happy” isn’t it? No corporations exist in a vacuum. It’s like Nike making shoes in sweatshops, people moan but buy them anyway. Voters could sort it easily by imposing punitive tariffs on any country that doesn’t comp…

But if the EU would try to do that, the US would likely retaliate with tariffs.

Re: Cargill: The Worst Company in the World

#77

> In contrast to the oil and tobacco industries, for instance, the bad practices documented here are not inherent to the products Cargill sells, and are, in fact, entirely avoidable. On the contrary, there are strong philosophical arguments that selling meat and eggs, as Cargill does, is 'inherently' immoral.

Okay... then lay it on us? If there’s a strong moral argument maybe you should tell us.

Re: Cargill: The Worst Company in the World

#78

Brought to you by the Louis Dreyfus company, Archer Daniels Midland, Monsanto, Bunge, Callebaut, Glencore, Armajaro and so on... There's a great book "Merchants of Grain" written in the 70s about the secretive foods megabusinesses. It's arguably gotten worse since then. They make oil companies look like public servants.

Oil is always driven by the boom/bust cycle.

Food is worse as policy seeks to stabilize prices.

Re: Cargill: The Worst Company in the World

#79

They'll do exactly as much damage as they can get away with. If there's no regulation standing in their way, or the potential profits outweigh the consequences, of course they'll continue their malfeasance. I don't know why this is surprising to anyone. The nature of any corporation is to act in its own self-interest. I guess Mighty Earth is doing what they can, but it's like raking leaves in the forest, in the middl…

If there's no regulation standing in their way, or the potential profits outweigh the consequences, of course they'll continue their malfeasance Well, yes, but that’s really “if voters and customers are happy” isn’t it? No corporations exist in a vacuum. It’s like Nike making shoes in sweatshops, people moan but buy them anyway. Voters could sort it easily by imposing punitive tariffs on any country that doesn’t comp…

The Nike sweatshop situation is actually a counterexample to your point. People complained and, at least according to what I read, not only did Nike change but they lobbied for legislation to force their competitors to change as well.

Re: Cargill: The Worst Company in the World

#80
post #39

Seriously? Worst company in the world? Come on. They’re responding to demand. If Cargill doesn’t buy the palm oil, another importer/distributor will. Sure, educate customers regarding the impacts of their purchases, but “worst company in the world” is just trolling. It’s this kind of partisan over-the-top hyperbole that turns people off and, IMHO, gets dudes like Trump elected.

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