Posted by Jared Skok | 26-Apr-2021
At a time when a global public health crisis has the world in suspense, Elanco continues to care for the health and well-being of our employees, customers, animals and the communities in which we operate. The Elanco Foundation’s grant to food banks across the US and Europe helped provide 900,000 pounds of food for families in need, helping to advance food security in vulnerable communities, writes Jared Skok, Executive Director of the Elanco Foundation and Head of CSR and Sustainability at Elanco.
According to the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization, prior to COVID-19, more than 690 million people were going to bed hungry each night1. The World Economic Forum further estimated that about one in three children are not getting the right nutrition to grow up healthy and active adults2.
With COVID-19 impacting not only public health but also peoples’ economic welfare, food banks across Elanco’s footprint reported a 30% to 200% increase in demand for meals throughout 2020. That’s why in March 2020, the Elanco Foundation pledged more than USD 700,000 to help fight rising food insecurity challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Funding from the Elanco Foundation supported food bank organizations in the US and Europe, the majority of which helped provide approximately 900,000 pounds of food or 750,000 meals to families in need. Some of the funding also allowed food banks to purchase equipment and upgrade their facilities to address the increased demand for storage and distribution of perishable foods.
For example, a grant awarded to Gleaners Food Bank in the US helped provide Central Indiana families with 26,666 meal boxes and purchase an additional 587,000 pounds of food which equated to roughly 500,000 daily meals offered.
In Europe, a grant allowed European Food Banks Federation member food pantries in Estonia, Lithuania, Greece and the Czech Republic to install new cold or frozen storage rooms and purchase vans with cooling equipment to aid the distribution of meat, poultry, fish and dairy products.
I am very proud how, in collaboration with our community partners, the Elanco Foundation was able to impact the livelihoods of thousands of families that would otherwise not have had food on the table in these difficult times of the pandemic. But the fight is far from over.
Going forward, the Elanco Foundation board and I pledge to continue to monitor emerging food security issues around the globe and take action to support those in need.
About the Elanco Foundation
Established in 2019 by Elanco Animal Health, this private, corporate foundation amplifies Elanco’s philanthropic impact by improving the well-being of people and animals around the world. The Foundation is committed to advancing sustainable growth in its focus areas of human-animal bond, food security and the environment.
About Elanco Healthy Purpose™
Elanco is committed to the idea that its business can be a unique force for good for all in society – starting with animals. Therefore, its approach to sustainability - called Elanco Healthy Purpose™ - is a framework of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments focused on advancing the well-being of animals, people and the planet. In this context, Elanco issued three Healthy Purpose pledges, driving sustainable change and supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
1 https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/
2 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/10/one-in-three-children-dont-get-the-nutrition-they-need/
