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Inspired by western techniques, Cargill and IFBN establish a new food bank in India that distributes excess food from local events, such as weddings.

During France’s annual collection day in November, Cargill employees volunteer to collect donations in their local supermarkets.

A new refrigerator donated by Cargill to the Barcelona Food Bank stores an extra 27 tons of perishable food on-site, creating meals for 150,000 people.

The food banks overseen by Maurice Lony (above), federal director of France’s food bank network, have benefitted from Cargill’s support since 2010.

Enhancing Food Banks to Fight Hunger

Around the world, organizations team with Cargill to create more nutritious meals, minimize waste and help nourish millions in need.

January 01, 2015

Enough food exists to feed everyone in the world, and yet, the United Nations estimates about 800 million people—approximately one in nine—are undernourished today. The majority live in developing countries, where more than 14% are unable to meet their dietary energy requirements.

As a founding member of Global FoodBanking Network (GFN), Cargill has provided more than US $1.4 million to support the establishment of new food bank networks in India, Mexico, Turkey, Romania, South Africa and Ukraine, as well as helping to expand food banks in Argentina, Canada, Hungary, Poland and Spain. These partnerships result in the acquisition and distribution of millions of pounds of food that was previously going to waste.

Nearly half the world’s undernourished children live in India, a country that plays a major role in Cargill’s efforts to ensure that all people have access to safe, nutritious and affordable food. In 2013, Cargill India partnered with the India Food Banking Network (IFBN) to launch their first food bank in Delhi. During its first year of operation, the facility provided 1.1 million meals to 10,000 people.

Cargill’s support of the European Federation of Food Banks (FEBA, Federation Europeenne des Banques Alimentaires) includes funding, product donations and employees volunteering their time and expertise to support the work of national food banks across Europe. In 2014, Cargill employees also participated in a program that provided training on best practices ranging from food safety to document management. Cargill also helped FEBA’s partner organization, Fare Share, establish a new food bank in Merseyside, UK. Today, this location provides enough food for over 1.1 million meals—the equivalent of feeding every Cargill employee in the UK for a week.

Food Bank Inpage
[image caption] During the year, Cargill employees volunteer at various FareShare food banks, such as this London depot, distributing meals to over 62,200 people in the UK.

Now in its 25th year, Cargill’s partnership with Feeding America continues to grow. Cargill supports Feeding America through a variety of projects and programs, providing funding, volunteer time and product donations. Through its network of more than 200 member food banks, Feeding America serves 61,000 hunger relief organizations across the US.

Most recently, Cargill’s Horizon Milling business teamed with Kroger, a grocery group based in the midwestern US, for one of the largest donations of flour ever made to Feeding America. More than 180,000 two-pound bags were delivered to network food banks across the country.

Collaboration with partners in both public and private sectors is an important element of Cargill’s commitment to global food security. By working together, Cargill and its partner organizations can provide better access to food in local communities, while working to find long-term solutions to hunger.