LONDON—Commodity and mining giant Glencore Xstrata has drafted in Edelman to provide crisis management counsel.

The Holmes Report understands that the secretive Swiss-based company made the decision following a recent agency review in London.

Glencore, which recorded revenues of almost $240bn in 2012, is no stranger to controversy. Last year, a BBC Panorama documentary included allegations of child labour and pollution.

A source familiar with the situation said that Glencore required a better crisis communication infrastructure given its rapid growth. Glencore merged with mining company Xstrata last year to create the 12th largest company in the Fortune Global 500.

The merger made Glencore the world's fourth-largest diversified mining company, and boosted its presence in emerging markets.

Glencore did not respond to request for comment as this story went live.