Cargill Foundation donates US$10 million to advance childhood nutrition in the US

02 Jan 2020 --- The Cargill Foundation has distributed US$10 million to US nonprofits, in 2019, to minimize the opportunity gap for low-income children and advance childhood nutrition. The funding focused around the Minneapolis and Saint Paul metropolitan area in the US – also known as Twin Cities – with Cargill partnering with several local organizations. On any given day, one in eight children (162,500) in Minnesota are at risk of hunger, the company says. The Cargill Foundation notes that it chose this pressing social issue as a priority because a stable, nutritious diet is a necessary foundation for children’s health, growth, learning and success.

The major global player is a Minnesota-based company, hence the increased interest in investing in the area. Being the largest privately held corporation in the US in terms of revenue, the company seeks to give back to the community. Despite being often under scrutiny for its sustainability practices, Cargill says it has been taking steps to reach more environmentally-friendly targets in production.

“As a global food and agriculture company based in Minnesota, our employees across nations work to nourish the world in a safe and responsible way. Nutrition is at the core of what we do,” notes Michelle Grogg, Vice President Global Corporate Responsibility and Executive Director of the Cargill Foundation. “We bring that same focus on nutrition to the Twin Cities through our funding and partnerships. In 2019, we specifically focused on childhood nutrition and food justice, supporting organizations that grow healthy foods, educate children and families on food choices and increase access to nutritious foods for children in low-income households across the Twin Cities.” 

The Cargill Foundation partnered with local organizations such as Appetite for Change.Each year, the Cargill Foundation focuses its efforts on making a positive impact in Minnesota, where the company has 17 facilities with more than 5,000 employees.

The Cargill Foundation partnered with a number of local organizations this year such as Appetite for Change, which works to offer children the opportunity to grow nutritious food. In urban gardens in North Minneapolis, children plant seedlings, harvest that produce and then eat the nutritious foods. If there is a surplus, they sell the produce at the local farmers market.

“Cargill has been an important partner and supporter of our food justice work and is leading the corporate and philanthropic community in recognizing childhood nutrition and food access as a major issue,” says Michelle Horovitz, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Appetite for Change.

The corporation also supports the Harold Mezile North Community Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Youth & Teen Enrichment Center, which educates children on the importance of making healthy food choices. Through the Cargill Teaching Kitchen, children are given the opportunity to take cooking classes to learn how to prepare and eat nutritious foods and bring food and recipes home to share with their family and caregivers.

“We are happy to partner with the Cargill Foundation to provide access to resources and develop enriching programs that improve healthy habits,” says Glen Gunderson, President and CEO of YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities. 

Furthermore, the company supports Twin Cities Mobile Market, which provides access to healthy produce options. The Wilder Foundation’s Twin Cities Mobile Market is a city bus converted into a grocery store, bringing affordable and fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, grains and other high-quality groceries directly into neighborhoods that do not have easy access to these nutritious foods.

“Via the move, we can provide families with even greater access to healthy, affordable food. Thanks to Cargill’s support, we are able to eliminate many of the barriers that prevent families from putting fresh fruits and vegetables on the table,” highlights Leah Porter, Director of the Twin Cities Mobile Market.

Edited by Kristiana Lalou