Food banks and other organizations that help feed society’s most vulnerable members are suffering a huge increase in demand as mass layoffs due to the COVID-19 closures of non-essential businesses leave millions without pay cheques. But food producers are stepping in to fill the gap…
Volunteers fill Food Hampers at the Langly, BC, food bank.
Let’s look at a case in point
McCain Foods of Florenceville, New Brunswick, is the world’s largest manufacturer of frozen Potato specialties, and also produces other quality products such as Appetizers, Vegetables, and Desserts that can be found in restaurants and retail stores in more than 160 countries around the world. In Canada, the company has eight production facilities with about 2,400 employees. It also has a long-haul trucking company within its corporate family to deliver its goods across the country.
What they’re doing
McCain announced yesterday that it will donate up to 20 million pounds / 9 million kg of Potato products to food banks and other food security organizations across Canada. That’s 60 million servings!
Potatoes are among the most nutritious foods in our culinary lexicon. They’re a
great source of Potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B6, as
well as being low in Calories and zero-Fat. (Of course, most of
us add a lot of Fat and Salt when we serve them…)
“In this time of physical distancing, feelings of community and support are ever more important,” Max Koeune, President and CEO of McCain Foods, said in a news release. “McCain has long been a leader in Canadian agriculture and food. Our employees, along with our more than 130 potato grower partners across the country, take pride in providing planet-friendly foods to Canadians every day. Our collective goal is to feed real moments of togetherness and these challenging times are no exception. That is why we are working with charitable organizations across Canada to help fight hunger in our country.”
What the food banks are saying
“Because of COVID-19, many local food drives typically held this time of year are cancelled,” said Chris Hatch, CEO of Food Banks Canada. “McCain Food’s significant donation will help replenish the inventory at a time when food donations have drastically decreased. We are grateful for this contribution as we face the increase in demand this pandemic is causing.”
“Ensuring all Canadians have access to nutritious, fresh food during this crisis is a collective effort, and we are proud to be working with McCain Foods to tackle this issue together,” said Lori Nikkel, CEO of the Second Harvest food recycling organization. “Our mission is that no one gets left behind, and this generous donation will help us fulfill that mission by directly feeding those hardest hit by this pandemic.”
My take
Even before the COVID-19 crisis hit, Canada’s food banks were seeing more than a million visits by food insecure folks a month. Since the pandemic struck, demand has more than doubles. Many families which had never visited a food bank before – and thought they would never have to – are now lining up for food support. McCain Foods is not only helping feed folks who need help in this stressful time, but is also setting a shining example of good corporate citizenship and social responsibility.
Let’s hope other food production giants take the hint and climb onto the bandwagon.
~ Maggie J.