A slew of fresh commitments announced by Cargill this week to address the sustainability and accountability of its shipping operations raises as many questions as answers. Not only did the world’s largest agricultural trading house sign partnership agreements with four maritime non-governmental organisations (NGOs), it restated its commitment to supporting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
But what does this mean in reality when a corporate behemoth on the scale of Cargill makes a public commitment to participate constructively in the debate about sustainable industrial development?
And how big a challenge does it throw down to its commercial partners in shipping — tonnage providers, shipmanagers, financiers and shipbrokers — to make similarly strong commitments?
Ultimately, the question is about whether...
