Milestone Year

December 8, 2012

By: Charlene Finck, Farm Journal Editor

HungerU Food Forums, such as this one at Iowa State University, brought together diverse opinions and sparked thought-provoking conversations.

Thanks to support from farmers, foundations and agribusinesses, Farmers Feeding the World makes a difference

A whirlwind of activity and growing support this year allowed Farmers Feeding the World, the Farm Journal Foundation’s initiative, to march ahead on its mission, which centers on three needs: providing hunger relief, creating ag development for sustainable hunger solutions and communicating the need for modern agriculture in the fight against hunger.

"We’re pleased to bring agriculture together in an effort that stretches from corner to corner of our industry," says Andrew Weber Jr., chairman of the Foundation. "We’re especially proud of the impact we’re having with the youth and our next generation of leaders, who will continue the effort to feed our world."

Every dollar donated by an individual goes straight to our mission, whether the donation is $10, $100, $1,000, $10,000 or more. Thanks to contributions from farmers, foundations, agribusinesses and community fundraisers, the grassroots effort accomplished the following in 2012:

Supported a $1 million donation to Heifer International to help feed the hungry in the U.S. and abroad.
Launched the inaugural HungerU Tour in the fall, visiting seven college campuses and the National FFA Convention. Made possible by support from DuPont Crop Protection, the Tour educated college students, academia and all who eat about the pivotal role ag plays in feeding the world’s burgeoning population. Many stops included evening Food Forums. The Tour was a pilot program for a future tour targeting non-ag colleges.
Provided funding for a $500,000 grant program that awarded up to $2,500 each to 140 FFA chapters. The partnership with the National FFA Organization was possible with matching funds from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The FFA: Food For All grants gave chapters incentive to start sustainable community hunger solutions, which created $14.70 in return for every $1 granted. The Checotah, Okla., chapter was honored by the White House as a "Champion of Change."