Canadian agriculture and food industry supports Drive Away Hunger

Canada’s agriculture and food industry has once again delivered incredible results for Drive Away Hunger, providing an equivalent of more than 40 million meals to food banks and feeding programs across the country.

Founded by Farm Credit Canada (FCC), the industry-wide initiative has been collecting food and cash for nutritious meals for the past 19 years. 

The results were announced today at the Future of Food conference in Ottawa - a gathering of industry stakeholders hosted by FCC to mark Canada’s Agriculture Day.

“Drive Away Hunger provides a way for the agriculture and food industry to positively impact food security in Canada,” said Todd Klink, FCC executive vice-president and chief marketing officer. “Local food banks play an important role in communities across Canada as they support the ongoing need to provide nutritious food for families.

“Those who grow, produce and process food and beverages every day truly understand and appreciate the importance of providing high-quality and nutritious food,” he said. “FCC and our many industry partners are proud to support this initiative that provides food and cash donations, promotes food reclamation initiatives and supports school feeding programs.”

Since 2004, the agriculture and food community has come together to raise 161 million in food and cash donations for those facing food insecurity in Canada.

Canada’s agriculture and food industry is in a great position to help promote food security in Canada. The Drive Away Hunger program has been a catalyst for the agriculture and food industry to use food reclamation initiatives to support food banks. The campaign has encouraged more companies to distribute surplus perishable food products where they are needed.

“It is an extremely difficult time right now for our friends and neighbours on low incomes and the local food banks that serve them,” said Kirstin Beardsley, Chief Executive Officer, from Food Banks Canada. “We thank our partners and the positive impacts they have made in our communities.  Drive Away Hunger is a shining example of what can happen when the Canadian agriculture and food industry works together. Our sincere thanks go to everyone who made these outstanding results possible.”

To find out more about Drive Away Hunger, visit driveawayhunger.ca.

FCC is Canada’s leading agriculture and food lender, with a healthy loan portfolio of more than $47 billion. Our employees are dedicated to the future of Canadian agriculture and food. We provide flexible financing, AgExpert management software, information and knowledge specifically designed for the agriculture and food industry. As a Crown corporation, we provide an appropriate return to our shareholder, and reinvest our profits back into the industry and communities we serve. For more information, visit fcc.ca.

About Food Banks Canada

Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. For 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. Over 4,750 food banks and community organizations come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who in March of last year made nearly 1.5 million visits to these organizations, according to our 2022 HungerCount Report. Visit foodbankscanada.ca to learn more.

For more information, photos or interviews, please contact:

Jill McAlister
Corporate Communication 
Farm Credit Canada
306-540-4840
jill.mcalister@fcc.ca