Stepping up to help fight hunger in Louisiana
Published: Jan 30, 2023
It’s difficult to learn and excel in school on an empty stomach. Unfortunately, that’s the harsh reality for many students in the US state of Louisiana.
In response, Nutrien has announced a $600,000 commitment to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, to support a host of critical food programs that help fight hunger in local schools and on the front lines across three parishes in the area.
“For more than 35 years, the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank has been fulfilling its mission of feeding the hungry,” said Richard Holder, General Manager of Nutrien’s Geismar, Louisiana Nitrogen facility. “At Nutrien, our purpose is Feeding the Future. We are honored to support the food bank in its mission through this donation, and to strengthen our long-standing relationship with the food bank and our local communities.”
Nutrien’s financial commitment will help aid programs in Ascension, Iberville, and Pointe Coupee parishes. According to Feeding America’s annual hunger study, these parishes have food insecurity rates of 9.5 percent, 14.2 percent and 16.8 percent, respectively. Programs like Mobile Distributions, Farm Fresh, Senior Grocery and BackPack are critical to meeting the needs of those who are food insecure. The BackPack program alone will serve roughly 530 children per month over the next two years.
“This financial commitment from Nutrien is a game-changing investment for children, families and seniors in our community who are food insecure,” said Mike Manning, President, and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. “Children should not have to go to school or bed hungry, and we know children struggle physically and mentally when they are not properly nourished. This commitment will also allow us to reach more families and seniors who are struggling to make ends meet due to inflation and rising food costs. We are truly grateful for Nutrien’s financial investment in these critical services for our community.”
As part of this effort, Nutrien employees participated in a volunteer activity in support of the organization, which included pre-sorting and packing boxes, checking expiration dates on food and organizing supplies in the Baton Rouge Food Bank warehouse. We’re proud of our employees for representing Nutrien’s community spirit.
Nutrien in Louisiana
Nutrien’s Geismar Nitrogen facility began operations over 50 years ago. We are an active member of the local community, participating in events and initiatives in the areas of food solutions and sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, and diversity and inclusion.
Nutrien is evaluating Geismar as the site to build the world’s largest clean ammonia facility. The anticipated plant would have an expected annual production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes and is expected to capture and store more than 90 percent of the CO2 emissions to achieve the lowest carbon footprint of any ammonia plant at this scale – with the potential to transition to net-zero emissions with future modifications. For more information, please visit our Clean Ammonia page.
Nutrien Ag Solutions is also an important ag retailer in Louisiana, with 30 locations across the state.