Sticking a fork in hunger

It all starts with a healthy meal – to grow your body and grow the world. 

Kids who face food insecurity in the best of times are among the most impacted by COVID-19. For some, the food they receive through their school lunch program is the only nutrition they get that day, making recent school closures even more devastating. 

The Nutrien Community Relations and Investment team, along with our Community Investment representatives from our sites, aren’t wasting time. They’re working with our many community partners – like food banks and school nutrition programs – to get food to families around the world. Rather than giving a single donation, Nutrien is taking a grassroots approach to provide a greater local impact.

In Alberta, Nutrien donated $30,000 each to three Calgary charities – Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids, I Can for Kids and Leftovers Foundation – that are delivering food and grocery store gift cards to families in need. Nutrien’s Carseland, Alberta Nitrogen facility donated $5,000 to cover three months’ worth of lunches for students who normally rely on their school’s hot lunch program. Across central Alberta, Nutrien Ag Solutions locations launched an initiative in which Retail branches that moved canola seed to farm by the end of April were allocated marketing dollars to donate to local food banks. These branches and their customers came through in a big way, raising $25,000, with Nutrien providing an additional $16,000, for a total of $41,000 being donated to local causes.

In Saskatchewan, we supported a number of charities that are providing food for families in need. We’re helping Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools provide nutrition kits – complete with a personal and inspirational message on each bag – and supporting Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation Cheer Crates and the Salvation Army’s Food on the Move program. Also, we teamed up with Chase Wouters of the Saskatoon Blades ice hockey team to donate $10 for every faceoff the Blades captain won during the 2019/20 season, to the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre. Nutrien also partnered with members of the construction, mining and supply industries to support Food Banks of Saskatchewan with a $300,000 donation benefiting 32 food banks across the province. 

Tackling hunger

Meanwhile, other Nutrien sites are working with their local food banks to ensure nutritious meals for the whole family.  We have provided financial support to more than 90 organizations in our local communities through community investment site budgets and the additional US$1 million that Nutrien set aside to help keep local food programs running during COVID-19. 

• Our White Springs Phosphate facility has been a long-term supporter of the Florida Gateway Food Bank and recently donated $30,000 to help support the rising need for its services during COVID-19.
• Our Borger Nitrogen facility hosted a food drive for Connect Community Services – a food bank in Hutchinson County in north Texas. Over 100 pounds of food was collected for the cause, as well as a $2,500 contribution from the site donations budget.
• Nutrien’s Augusta Nitrogen facility donated $50,000 to the Golden Harvest Food Bank, which provides nutritious food to a 25-county service area around Augusta, Georgia. 
• Nutrien’s Aurora Nitrogen facility donated $50,000 to The Food Bank of Albemarle to support their emergency food relief efforts throughout rural eastern North Carolina.

We are acting quickly to keep our communities' food secure. Charities working on local food solutions that require assistance are invited to contact community.investment@nutrien.com