Cargill’s Chief Sustainability Officer Pilar Cruz Drives Progress on Environmental Goals

Ensuring that the United States’ largest private company, operating in over 70 countries with more than 160,000 personnel, meets its sustainability goals is a significant challenge. However, Pilar Cruz, Cargill’s chief sustainability officer since 2021, has demonstrated her ability to lead this crucial effort for the food and beverage multinational.

A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Cruz attributes her passion for sustainability to her experiences witnessing violence in the country during the 1980s. This instilled in her a deep appreciation for eliminating waste and ensuring food security. “I always had the desire to pursue a career that would allow me to do good for others while protecting the planet,” she says.

Cruz’s career at Cargill spans more than two decades. Since becoming the company’s first Latina executive team member, Cargill has made significant strides in sustainability. In 2023 alone, Cargill spearheaded the adoption of and barges for inland shipping, conserved 9 billion liters of water, promoted regenerative agriculture practices on millions of acres of farmland worldwide, and exceeded its 2025 carbon emission reduction targets for its operations — with Cruz hinting that they even surpassed those goals further this year. Her dedication to sustainability extends beyond Cargill, as she collaborates with other businesses to decarbonize supply chains and actively participates in global fora like the World Food Programme.

However, Cruz emphasizes that sustainability is a collective responsibility. “Sustainability is everybody’s role,” she asserts, dispelling the notion that big business and environmental protection are incompatible. “I think it’s possible to do good by doing great.”