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Five private companies helping to reduce hunger

Pepsico, Kraft, Cargill, Land O' Lakes, and TNT Express are among many companies that have created nonprofit divisions to help alleviate hunger in developing countries.

By Eleanor Fausold, Nourishing the Planet / February 15, 2012

A man gathers bags of cocoa beans at the Cargill factory in San Pedro, the main exporting cocoa port in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa. Cargill is just one of many international companies that have a nonprofit division aimed at helping the developing world.

Luc Gnago/Reuters/File

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You’re probably familiar with PepsiCo’s bubbly beverages and crunchy snacks, but did you know that the famous food company is also working to improve crop yields in Ethiopia?

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Many for-profit enterprises have added a nonprofit division to their work, enabling them to use their private economic resources for public good.

Today, Nourishing the Planet highlights five private companies that are helping to reduce hunger around the world:

1. Kraft Foods Inc.: As one of the world’s largest food companies, Kraft Foods Inc. produces dozens of familiar brands, including Oreo, Nabisco, Kraft, Cadbury, and Maxwell House. Through its community involvement initiatives, Kraft Foods Inc. has donated more than $770 million worth of cash and food in the past 25 years and has also partnered with organizations such as Feeding America, INMED Partnerships for Children, and the National Latino Children’s Institute to bring about programs that encourage healthy lifestyles and community service. These programs include Salsa, Sabor, y Salud (Food, Fun & Fitness), a program that teaches Latino families about the importance of healthy food choices and physically active lifestyles, and Kraft’s 2010 Delicious Difference Week, 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: Kraft’s Health in Action (Ação Saudável) program (formed in 2010 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. Nicole Robinson, vice president of the Kraft Foods Foundation, calls the program “truly transformative,” as “it 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.”