Cargill is the largest private transnational company based in the United States and is the largest trader of agricultural commodities in the world. It has its hands in many agricultural projects and products, some ethical and some not so. However, few are aware of its global impact and reach, even its employees. Brewster Kneen investigates how Cargill has avoided the fate of its peers such as Monsanto, which has become vilified the world over, even though they employ similar practices. This article is particularly relevant as Cargill plays a large role in the palm oil industry. Kneen first explains the history of Cargill, which essentially involves its rise to prominence by benefiting from government subsidies following World War II to provide large amounts of grain during the rebuilding efforts in Europe. By the 1950s, Europe had become self sufficient in their agricultural production that US grain is no longer welcome as it became unneeded competition. In response to this, the US government began subsidizing grain export to other countries outside of Europe, from which Cargill also benefited. By 1963, Cargill revenues had exceeded $1 billion, firmly establishing the it as a giant in the business. Since then, Cargill has also capitalized on other subsidies to further boost its profits. Cargill also employs sophisticated lobbying tactics to influence beneficial government policies and programs, and even has their executives gain powerful positions within the US government. In recent times, it has focused on developing grassroots support. To achieve this, Cargill has spend massive amounts of effort into green-washing and appearing small, often holding its offices in modest buildings outside of industrial/research complexes. One of Cargill’s initiatives is to establish “beachheads” and is based on old military tactics. As an example, Cargill seed growers in Tanzania work on a farm that is considerably larger than most of its costumers, producing specialized and hybrid seeds. Only 20 or so people are in seed production, while 5 or so people ride through the country in dirt bikes to sell seeds in small quantities to local farmers. The seeds then serve as a “Trojan horse” to create dependency among farmers on Cargill’s fertilizers and advice. This is particularly interesting in that Cargill is employing similar tactics in Indonesia’s palm oil industry and improved seedling and technical advice access is a major incentive for Indonesian farmers to participate in plantation co-ops. Japan has successfully blocked Cargill’s efforts in establishing such “beachheads” within its industry, both by producing laws as well as Cargill’s own failure to understand Japan’s custom of delivering meat.