October 12,  2020

Cargill matches Nobel Peace prize cash award with US$1 million donation to food programme

Cargill, a World Food Program USA partner, has announced on October 9 a donation of US$1 million in honor of the United Nations World Food Programme's Nobel Peace Prize for 2020.

Cargill's donation matches the cash award that comes with the Nobel Peace Prize and is in recognition of the organisation's efforts to combat hunger, help build a world free of conflict and prevent the use of food as a weapon of war.

The UN World Food Programme estimates that the number of severely hungry people could jump to a quarter of a billion people by the end of 2020. This prompted Cargill, Inc. to encourage the US corporate sector to join a campaign in ending hunger and ensuring that millions of severely hungry people get the food they need, Cargill said.

"The Nobel committee could not have chosen a more deserving organisation for the Nobel Peace Prize. The WFP has worked tirelessly to end systemic hunger and we are thrilled to celebrate and honor them by matching the peace prize award," said Michelle Grogg, vice president of corporate responsibility at Cargill. "This US$1 million contribution builds on our 20-year partnership to address food insecurity and advance farmer livelihoods around the world. And we encourage others to join in and support the WFP as it will take all of us working together to end systemic hunger and ensure a safe, sustainable and affordable food system for all."

"The Nobel Peace Prize and Cargill's generous donation is a tribute to UN World Food Programme staff who put their lives on the line every day to provide food and assistance to more than 100 million hungry children, women and men around the world," said World Food Program USA president and CEO Barron Segar. "It's a matter of life and death – literally – for millions of people edging closer to the brink of starvation. Cargill's support is critical in saving lives and bringing hope to millions impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and those caught in the crossfires of war."

"We are grateful to our long-standing partner, Cargill, for their significant commitment to support the UN World Food Programme," said Randy Russel, board chair of World Food Program. "Cargill is an excellent example of the commitment of the American agriculture industry in its generations-long support of feeding people around the world."

A strategic partner of World Food Program USA and supporter of UN World Food Programme for more than 20 years, Cargill has supported a wide range of programmatic areas, including school meals, programmes for smallholder farmers and disaster relief operations in many countries around the world.

 - Cargill