Cargill Turkey reflects on 60 years with expanding role in global operations, ongoing commitment to diversification

Cargill, a global leader in food, bio industrial and animal nutrition markets, is celebrating six decades of investment, growth and commitment to Turkey. During that time, Cargill Turkey has become a pivotal manufacturing base, providing critical ingredients to both domestic and international customers, and playing an increasing role in the company’s global strategic operations.
For much of the last decade, Istanbul has served as the strategic hub for Cargill’s operations across the Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META), an operation that spans 66 countries. Now the company’s India-based food ingredient operations will join its META region, enabling Cargill to further leverage the strengths of its Turkey-based operations.
“Turkey is emerging as an important production and investment location in the post-pandemic era,” said Murat Tarakçıoğlu, Cargill Foods Middle East, Turkey and Africa Managing Director. “As trade flows between India, the Middle East and Africa continue to increase, Cargill Turkey is uniquely positioned to facilitate that growth by taking a greater leadership role in the region.”
Cargill first entered the Turkish market in 1960, establishing a foothold in the country’s food sector through a local partnership. In the ensuing 60 years, the company invested more than US$530 million in Turkey and expanded its domestic offerings to include a wide array of food ingredients, bio industrial materials and animal nutrition products. Today, it provides innovative solutions used in infant nutrition, packaging, pharmaceuticals ingredients, bioenergy, tissues, dyes and more.  Many of these lines are produced in Cargill’s Turkish factories, substituting imported products with local production – contributing to the country’s economy and creating export opportunities to markets around the world.
“Throughout our decades-long commitment to Turkey, product diversification has been central to our business, as we’ve developed innovative food products in line with consumer trends and bio-based environmentally sustainable product alternatives that touch every aspect of life,” said Tarakçıoğlu. “As we look ahead to the next 60 years, those priorities remain, and we will continue to develop value-added products such as plant-based proteins, and bio industrial and pharmaceutical ingredients grade raw materials.”
Innovation remains a cornerstone of Cargill’s Turkish operations, extending to its sustainability and social responsibility efforts. These include its 1,000 Farmers Endless Prosperity initiative, which provides Turkish farmers with training on sustainable agricultural practices, access to digital agricultural tools and tailored agronomic consultancy services. Another key initiative, launched as part of its 60-year celebration, is Cargill’s 60 Leaders for the Future program, which offers scholarship support and professional development opportunities to 60 female university students.
Cargill’s current operations in Turkey include four state-of-the-art production facilities:

• A corn milling plant, located in Orhangazi, which produces food starch, corn fiber, sweeteners, and industrial starch from all-natural and locally grown corn.
• A vegetable oil refinery in Turyağ Balıkesir, which supplies healthier edible vegetable oils that do not contain trans fats and cholesterol and have reduced saturated fatty acids.
• A bio industrial facility in Dilovası, which manufacturers advanced bio-based materials such as transformer oils, drilling oils and industrial esters.
• An animal feed manufacturing site in Sakarya Hendek, which delivers high quality animal feed and premixes.

Cargill Turkey exports the goods produced in these facilities to serve customers in more than 70 countries.
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