With harvest underway across Canada, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank is welcoming a four-year renewal of funding from the Government of Canada.
A $100 million grant announced by Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen on Thursday extends the long-running agreement that sees donations to the charity — many coming from farms and agribusinesses — matched by the government on a 4:1 ratio, up to $25 million per year.
Hussen announced the funding for 2024 to 2028 alongside Foodgrains Bank executive director Andy Harrington on a farm at Abbotsford, BC on Thursday (pictured above).
The agreement is a renewal of previous funding that Global Affairs Canada has provided to the Foodgrains Bank since 1985. It will support the Foodgrains Bank and its 15 church and church-based members in providing emergency food assistance in places experiencing humanitarian crises around the world.
“We are very appreciative of the longstanding partnership we have with the Government of Canada, and for the renewal of this funding. It will help provide urgent assistance to many people around the world experiencing critical levels of hunger because of conflicts, natural disasters, climate impacts, and other humanitarian emergency crises,” says Harrington. “This funding, along with the consistent support we receive from Canadian donors, enables us to move quickly and effectively in times of crisis.”
A large portion of the Foodgrains Bank’s annual donations come from more than 200 growing projects across Canada. These projects bring together farmers and agribusinesses who offer their time and equipment to growing and selling a crop or other agricultural commodities, including livestock or honey, with the proceeds going to the Foodgrains Bank.
Last year, the organization provided food assistance to 333,922 people experiencing humanitarian emergencies in 16 countries. The funding for 2024-25 will be going to programs in countries such as Syria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Haiti.
