As of the summer of 2007, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank has supplied one million tonnes of food to people coping with hunger all over the world. That's enough food to fill 15,873 box cars with bags of grain - a train that would stretch approximately 290 kilometres.
"This is a significant milestone for us," says Jim Cornelius, Executive Director of Canadian Foodgrains Bank. "A million tonnes of food is enough to provide a full ration of cereals, pulses and oil to over 66 million people for one month. That's twice the population of Canada, or one percent of the world's population."
"Our mission is to end hunger," continues Cornelius. "Sometimes, when the task seems too large, and we consider that over 800 million people are still without sufficient food, it can seem overwhelming. Stopping to think about the number of people who have already benefited through the generosity of Canadians, however, encourages us to carry on. Our work is far from over, but today we are celebrating what's already been done."
Since its inception in 1983, the organization has supported food, agriculture and nutrition programming in 74 countries. The one millionth tonne was part of a four month food-for-work project which supported the rebuilding of critical community assets after floods in India. Wheat and rice were purchased within the surrounding region to support this project. The country that has received the greatest amount of support is Ethiopia (332,504 tonnes). Much of the food supplied to households in Ethiopia has been distributed through food-for-work projects to construct water catchment and diversion systems and rehabilitate land and the environment in an effort to improve long-term food security.
"We could not have done this without the support of generous Canadians," adds Jim Cornelius. "A lot of people give of their resources - money, grain, time, commodities, etc. - toward the cause of ending hunger. We are very grateful for the strong support we receive and we know that each of our beneficiaries shares that gratitude."
In addition to donations from the public, Canadian Foodgrains Bank receives funding from CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency). In July 2007, it was announced that a new five year agreement would increase annual funding from $16 million/year to $20 million/year. This agreement also allows for more flexibility in the types of programming that are eligible for CIDA funding.
"There are a lot of reasons to celebrate," says Rick Fee, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Canadian Foodgrains Bank. "We have increased our strength by adding new members and new funding, and we are confident that millions more people will benefit in the future. Today we congratulate staff, volunteers, donors, and partners for their hard work and dedication. We remain committed to the task of ending hunger."
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of ADRA Canada and 14 other Canadian faith-based charities working to end hunger in developing countries by: increasing and deepening the involvement of Canadians in efforts to end hunger; supporting partnerships and activities to reduce hunger on both an immediate and sustainable basis; and influencing changes in public policies necessary to end hunger.
Support this exciting work by donating to ADRA Canada and marking your donation "Canadian Foodgrains Bank" or by donating to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and marking your donation for the account of ADRA Canada!
Find additional information about ADRA Canada at www.adra.ca. ADRA Canada is part of the ADRA network, which is present in more than 100 countries providing community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age or ethnicity.
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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
