Grain Industry Joins Paradigm For Parity to Address Gender and Racial Gap in Corporate Leadership

Paradigm for Parity, a coalition of business leaders who are dedicated to addressing the corporate leadership gap, is spreading throughout the grain industry, with Cargill, Bunge, ADM, and Ingredion taking the Paradigm for Parity pledge to achieve full gender parity and racial equality by 2030. The near-term goal is women holding at least 30% of senior roles,” says Paradigm for Parity CEO Sandra Quince.

Paradigm for Parity, which was founded in 2016, has seen its partner companies grow from 27 initially to 144. But Quince notes that Paradigm for Parity’s success isn’t just demonstrated by the growth of the coalition; it’s seen in the “actions and the work that each of these partner companies are doing to drive sustainable outcomes for gender parity with racial equity.”

Plan of Action

Quince notes that the coalition’s ability to reach over 6.4 million employees is found in Paradigm for Parity’s strategies and action plan. “Companies that are part of Paradigm for Parity are given actionable plans, tools, resources, and strategies to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion in their organization to ultimately achieve parity.”

Sheryl Wallace, president of North American grain at Cargill, Wayzata, MN, believes that Cargill’s involvement with Paradigm for Parity is a step in the right direction. “Cargill was one of the first companies to sign the Paradigm for Parity pledge, and I believe Cargill’s focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion is a business imperative.”

For Wallace, the actionable steps from the pledge have “allowed us to find and develop talent. We’re interested in having the best, most talented people, and we’ve broadened our scope and changed our processes and systems to make them more inclusive and far-reaching.”

On a practical level, Wallace says this has meant “conducting diverse interview panels, removing biased language from job descriptions, providing unconscious bias training, and challenging ourselves regarding the elements that are required versus preferred when hiring.”

Industry Engagement

Wallace says that the changes she’s seen in the grain industry toward gender parity are far reaching. “The grain industry is transforming and looking for ways to break biases and include more people. Beyond Paradigm for Parity, which has seen heavy industry involvement, industry leaders are looking for ways to create inclusive opportunities.

“The National Grain and Feed Association, for example, is involved with MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences),” she adds, “MANRRS is a nonprofit organization that promotes academic and professional advancement by empowering minorities in these fields, and NGFA has built connections and provides scholarships to these talented ag students. Another industry example is at Ardent Mills, who are sponsoring and growing their Employee Resources Groups that support teammates and enhance diversity and inclusion efforts. As part of Women’s History Month, they hosted panels and activities to celebrate and develop employees.”

Future Impact

Wallace believes the future of the ag industry is full of possibility. “There’s so much complexity and opportunity for change, especially in the realms of renewable fuels, sustainability, technology, and innovation.”

Wallace believes the opportunities afforded by Paradigm For Parity and the industry’s efforts on diversity, equity, and inclusion will “open the door for more talented people to consider and get involved with agriculture ultimately, bringing in diverse perspectives where they can be successful, leverage their capabilities, and make an impact at a critical time in our industry.”

Wallace’s belief in Paradigm for Parity’s goals is close to her heart. As a mother of a daughter, she wants to show her and other young women the “exciting possibilities in this influential, important industry.”