SOURCE:Sealed Air
DESCRIPTION:
The Sealed Air Food Care division has a long standing legacy as a contributing member of the agricultural industry, which is responsible for putting food on tables across the globe. In recent years, Sealed Air Food Care has identified the importance in partnering with an organization that helps prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. It is our commitment to this challenge and passion for the agricultural industry that has led us to invest in the National Future Farmers of America organization. Founded in 1928, FFA is the largest student organization in the United States, with over 629,000 students ranging in age from 12 to 21 years and more than 7700 chapters located in every state, including 18 of the nation’s 20 largest cities.
February 20-26 marked FFA Week, a week in which Sealed Air employees were encouraged to develop a deeper knowledge of the impact FFA has on its members and communities across the U.S. In 2015, Sealed Air sponsorship of the FFA organization was in support of the FFA Hunger platform and its “Food For All” grant program. Both of these initiatives align with Sealed Air’s sustainability platform and are critical for helping FFA members take ownership of their motto – which is “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve”.
In 2016, 149 chapters in 40 states and the Virgin Islands were awarded the “Food For All” grant. The "Food For All" grant must be applied for by individual FFA Chapters based on strict criteria such as understanding the hunger need in their community, interacting with community partners, developing year- long activities, and educating students and teaching them how to serve. Chapters who receive the grant are awarded up to $2,500 to support year-long service-learning projects that address local hunger needs. In 2015, 112,488 lbs of produce, 12,255 lbs of meat and fish, and 46,620 eggs were produced and donated by grant recipients to those in need within their communities.
These organizations are making real impact across the nation. Fromberg FFA in Montana sent out 23 backpacks of food every week school was in session. Southwestern FFA in Kentucky donated 3,736 eggs and helped eight families start their own flocks. Mattabeset FFA in Connecticut donated 150 lbs of Tilapia, as well as 6,000 seedlings for local gardens. With over 150 additional success stories, FFA members have logged more than 177,000 hours of service to help in the fight against hunger last year alone. FFA’s impact across the country and in the world is undeniable.
Taking the food we place on our tables for granted, as consumers, is a task we are all guilty of. Most consumers might assume that someone else is worrying about our Nation’s hunger problem. Sealed Air refuses to make this assumption and knows that a little investment in the future leaders in agriculture today will pay dividends for our world tomorrow. By combining our efforts to mitigate the effects of food waste, which contribute to global hunger, and supporting organizations like the FFA, Sealed Air is creating a better way for life in the communities we serve.
Tweet me:.@Sealed_Air invests in the future leaders in agriculture @NationalFFA http://bit.ly/22gHyST
KEYWORDS: Ethical Production and Consumption, Agribusiness, Sealed Air, FFA
