McCain Foods Donates 20 Million Pounds of Potato Products to Combat Food Insecurity During Pandemic

McCain Foods announced a donation of up to 20-million pounds of potato products to support Food Banks Canada, Second Harvest, and other local food security organizations across the country. This commitment represents 60-million servings of potatoes that will be provided to Canadian communities struggling with food insecurity.

Over recent weeks the Canadian Food system has been stretched by the impacts of COVID-19. It has left many of our most vulnerable neighbors struggling for access to food. This donation by McCain Foods will help provide access to additional food sources to those in need.

Foodbanks across Canada are encouraged to reach out to their provincial food banks associations and Second Harvest with their requests. To further help, McCain Foods Limited is also engaging its subsidiary Day & Ross – one of Canada's largest transportation companies – to help get the donations to those in need as quickly as possible.

Max Koeune, President and CEO at McCain Foods:
 

“In this time of physical distancing, feelings of community and support are ever more important.”

“McCain has long been a leader in Canadian agriculture and food. Our employees, along with our more than 130 potato grower partners across the country, take pride in providing planet-friendly foods to Canadians every day.”

“Our collective goal is to feed real moments of togetherness and these challenging times are no exception. That is why we are working with charitable organizations across Canada to help fight hunger in our country.”

Food banks play a vital role in serving Canada's most vulnerable neighbors. Even before the escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than one-million visits were made to food banks across Canada each month, according to Food Banks Canada's HungerCount report. Now, the demand is even greater for those struggling with food insecurity and the hardest hit by this crisis.

Chris Hatch, CEO at Food Banks Canada:
 

“Because of COVID-19, many local food drives typically held this time of year are canceled. McCain Food's significant donation will help replenish the inventory at a time when food donations have drastically decreased.”

“We are grateful for this contribution as we face the increase in demand this pandemic is causing.”

Second Harvest is Canada's largest food rescue charity that has been dedicated to environmental protection and hunger relief. Since COVID-19, the organization has received hundreds of new requests for food support from charities and non-profits across Canada through its distribution hub in Ontario and their national online platform FoodRescue.ca

Lori Nikkel, CEO, Second Harvest:
 

“Ensuring all Canadians have access to nutritious, fresh food during this crisis is a collective effort, and we are proud to be working with McCain Foods to tackle this issue together.”

“Our mission is that no one gets left behind, and this generous donation will help us fulfill that mission by directly feeding those hardest hit by this pandemic.”

McCain Food's commitment comes in addition to ~$1.3 million in donations from the McCain Foundation; which were made last week to provide urgent support to food banks, shelters, community kitchens, and school programs in New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Alberta.