Five private companies helping to reduce hunger
You鈥檙e probably familiar with PepsiCo鈥檚 bubbly beverages and crunchy snacks, but did you know that the famous food company is also working to improve crop yields in Ethiopia?
Many for-profit enterprises have added a nonprofit division to their work, enabling them to use their private economic resources for public good.
Today, highlights five private companies that are helping to reduce hunger around the world:
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1. Kraft Foods Inc.: As one of the , produces dozens of familiar brands, including Oreo, Nabisco, Kraft, Cadbury, and Maxwell House. Through its community involvement initiatives, Kraft Foods Inc. has donated worth of cash and food in the past 25 years and has also partnered with organizations such as , , and the to bring about programs that encourage healthy lifestyles and community service. These programs include (Food, Fun & Fitness), a program that teaches Latino families about the importance of healthy food choices and physically active lifestyles, and 碍谤补蹿迟鈥檚 , in which Kraft employees in 56 different countries partnered with nonprofit organizations to plant community gardens, build playgrounds, serve the hungry, and more.
Kraft Foods Inc. in action: 碍谤补蹿迟鈥檚 (A莽茫o Saud谩vel) program ( through a partnership between Kraft Foods Foundation and INMED Partnerships for Children) is based in Brazil and plans to ultimately reach approximately 675,000 people by creating school gardens, helping families grow their own fruits and vegetables, and educating people on nutrition, hygiene, and active play. , vice president of the Kraft Foods Foundation, calls the program 鈥渢ruly transformative,鈥� as 鈥渋t empowers children, teachers, and the entire school. And it reaches into the community to help people address the issues around hunger and healthy lifestyles for themselves.鈥�
2. Land O鈥� Lakes Inc.: The company is best known for its butter and other dairy products, but is also the United States鈥� , having been member-owned and directed since 1921. The company鈥檚 nonprofit division, , uses the company鈥檚 鈥減ractical experience and in-depth knowledge to facilitate market-driven business solutions that generate economic growth, improve health and nutrition, and alleviate poverty.鈥�
Land O鈥� Lakes Inc. in action: Land O鈥� Lakes partners with in the . The purpose of the program, according to , is to 鈥渂egin rebuilding Mozambique鈥檚 dairy industry to meet market demand and to increase incomes for smallholder farmers through participation in a sustainable dairy value chain.鈥� The organization also trains farmers to teach other farmers about proper animal care, weeding systems, cart making, road building, and other important skills. As a result, farmers are learning how to raise and utilize livestock to improve their incomes, diets, and crop productivity.
3. PepsiCo: produces more than just soda. In fact, it manufactures hundreds of brands of food and beverages around the world, including Frito-Lay, Quaker, and Tropicana products.听 It also partners with the (WFP) and (USAID) to 鈥渄ramatically and promote long-term nutritional and economic security in Ethiopia,鈥� among other programs.
PepsiCo in action: PepsiCo鈥檚 chickpea initiative, , is part of PepsiCo鈥檚 strategy to become a global leader in sustainable agriculture. The program plans to improve the quality of Ethiopia鈥檚 chickpeas and increase yields by introducing more modern agricultural practices and irrigation techniques, such as use of , and considering such as seasonality and the need to optimize soil quality. It also aims to address malnutrition by developing a 鈥渓ocally sourced, nutrient-rich, ready-to-use supplementary food" and wants to 鈥渟cale up and strengthen the Ethiopian chickpea supply chain to harness the potential of a domestic and export market and increase the availability of locally produced nutritious products for consumers.鈥�
4. TNT Express: , an international express and cargo delivery company headquartered in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, serves more than 200 countries and employs more than 160,000 people. This corporation uses its specialization in transport to aid the WFP.
TNT Express in action: Through its program, TNT Express donates its skills, knowledge, and resources to the WFP. Since 2003, with $83 million worth of cash, in-kind contributions such as airlifts, and staff deployment to help make food transport missions more efficient. The company has also deployed 12 airplanes to Haiti, Pakistan, and the Philippines in times of emergency.听听
5.听 Cargill: As an international producer and marketer of food and agricultural, financial, and industrial products and services, employs 142,000 people in 66 different countries. Cargill鈥檚 community investment initiatives feature several programs focused on alleviating hunger around the globe.
Cargill in action: As part of its 鈥溾�� challenge, Cargill donated $3.3 million to combat hunger around the world, and on it challenged its businesses to reach out and assist local hunger relief organizations. The businesses rose to the challenge and participated in activities ranging from restocking food bank shelves in the US to building school kitchens in Honduras. Cargill鈥檚 six-year, $5.5 million commitment to the WFP also brings 鈥渇ood, medication, improved hygiene, and new drinking water wells to more than 30,000 children in 130 schools in Indonesia.鈥�
鈥� Eleanor Fausold is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project.听
鈥� originally appeared at , a blog published by the .
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