World Food Program USA and Cargill partner to strengthen local food security

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100,000 schoolchildren in three countries will be served school meals sourced from local farmers over the next two years as part of a new joint program from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), World Food Program USA and Cargill.

The initiative will connect small-scale farmers in Honduras and Indonesia with WFP's school meals programs, building sustainable supply chains that deliver homegrown ingredients to create nourishing lunches for students. In Kenya, small-scale farmers strengthen their capacity to access stable markets. This approach not only provides the right nutrition for children, it also helps improve agricultural productivity and income potential for farmers.

"We know that education outcomes and nutrition are linked and that small-scale farmers can be an important part of the solution," said Michelle Grogg, senior director of corporate responsibility for Cargill. "By working with local farmers to grow nutritious food, we can improve farmer incomes and get students what they need to learn."

The partnership will also give farmers in Honduras, Indonesia and Kenya access to stable local markets, strengthening the ties between school meals programs and local economies. Cargill is investing $1 million to help farmers build capacity and strengthen best practices for meals programs. The initiative will also help to strengthen the capacity of provincial and local governments to improve school meal programs.

"Relying on locally sourced ingredients lifts up farmers and puts the purchasing power of school meal programs right back into the community," said Rick Leach, WFP USA's President and CEO. "It's the next step in making school meals sustainable."

Last year WFP provided school meals to more than 17 million children in 62 countries across the globe. Over the past 12 years, Cargill has contributed $12 million to WFP programs to advance food security, sustainability and nutrition.

About World Food Program USA
World Food Program USA is a 501(c)(3) charity that proudly supports the mission of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the largest humanitarian agency addressing hunger worldwide. By mobilizing individuals, lawmakers and businesses in the U.S. to advance the global movement to end hunger, we bolster an enduring American legacy of feeding families in need around the world. Learn more at www.wfpusa.org.

About Cargill
Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 150 years of experience. We have 150,000 employees in 70 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150701/227604LOGO

SOURCE Cargill

Related Links

http://www.cargill.com