WFD 2022: Olam Agri Nigeria Underlines Importance of Food, Health, and Nutrition
In commemoration of the 2022 World Food Day (WFD), Olam Agri Nigeria, on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, donated food items to the SOS Children’s Villages in Isolo, Lagos.
World Food Day is celebrated on October 16 globally. This year’s commemorative event is themed “Leave No One Behind”. The theme is a rallying call to governments and private organisations to scale efforts aimed at tackling food insecurity and malnutrition. Olam Agri’s visit to the SOS Children’s village is part of the business’ impressive schedule of sustainable social investments and engagements aimed at giving back to its community and enriching lives, especially the vulnerable.
In addition to the donation to the SOS Children’s Village in Lagos, a delegation of the management and staff of Olam Agri Nigeria in collaboration with the Lagos Food Bank also visited the hinterlands in the state to provide hunger relief to several indigenes that need care.
Speaking on the food donations to the SOS Children’s Village and the Lagos Food Bank, Ashish Pande, Country Head, Olam Agri Nigeria, said that the business is committed to undertaking critical social investment projects that deliver positive impact and engender a better life for the members of its host community.
“Right to food and nutrition is at the core of inclusive growth. No member of society deserves to be hungry. Therefore, we are embarking on focused social investment projects that’s targeted at accelerating the attainment of the Federal Government’s food security agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of achieving zero hunger in the world”, Pande said.
While receiving the food item donations, Ayodeji Adelopo, Regional Programme Manager, South, SOS Children’s Village Nigeria, thanked Olam Agri for the gesture.
Adelopo said, “The food donations have come in handy too. By going to such extent to bring relief to the vulnerable segment of society, Olam Agri Nigeria has demonstrated that it values the wellbeing of the people in its host communities.”
He added, “In-country partnerships and collaborations are at the centre of our operating models, and it has been key in providing support to the children under our care. We hope to further explore such opportunities with Olam Agri Nigeria and other well-meaning corporate organisations”
Similarly, Michael Sunbola, Executive Director Lagos Food Bank initiative, explained, “Embarking on a strategic program of relief in the areas of nutrition is critical to helping the vulnerable segment of the society at this period of escalating global food security challenge. Olam Agri’s continued support for our outreaches has been invaluable. We are reaching out to provide hunger relief to an increasing number of people, thanks to such private and public support.”
Speaking further on the commemorative event, the Olam Agri Nigeria, Country Head, said that effective partnership and collaboration is vital to achieving inclusive socio-economic growth. He mentioned that providing access to safe, nutritious, healthy, and affordable food underlines the company’s corporate and investment objectives.
Olam Agri is a market leading, differentiated food, feed and fibre agri-business with a global origination footprint, processing capabilities and deep understanding of market needs built over 33 years.
With a strong presence in high-growth emerging markets and products across grains & oilseeds, animal feed & protein, rice, edible oils, specialty grains & seeds, cotton, wood products, rubber and commodity financial services, Olam Agri is at the heart of global food and agritrade flows with more than 40 million MT in volume traded annually.
Focused on transforming food, feed and fibre for a more sustainable future, it aims at creating value for customers, enable farming communities to prosper sustainably and strive for a food-secure future. Olam Agri is a fully owned subsidiary of Olam Group.