PepsiCo Australia has donated 70 pallets of oats to hunger relief charity, Foodbank, through food conglomerate Quaker Oats, which PepsiCo acquired in 2001. The 50 million tonne donation amounts to 1.4 million serves, ready to assist Australian households doing it tough.
With the current cost-of-living pressures exacerbating the challenges facing those in vulnerable circumstances, 77 per cent of households experiencing food insecurity did so for the first time last year.
Quaker Oats senior manufacturing manager, Stephen Boyd, said PepsiCo was committed to giving back to the communities in which it operates in a meaningful way.
“With 3.7 million Australian households experiencing food insecurity and struggling to meet their food needs, in the past 12 months, we are proud to extend the businesses existing partnership with Foodbank, via Quaker Oats, to support the crucial work Foodbank is doing to feed those doing it tough,” said Boyd.
With the country amid a food security crisis where 48 per cent of the general population feels anxious or struggles to access adequate food consistency, Foodbank provides food and groceries to 2844 charities and 3379 school breakfast programs in every state and territory, sourcing enough food for 92 million meals in the past year.
Later this year, Foodbank is partnering with the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) to host the inaugural GFN Global Summit 2024 in Sydney, Australia, 9-12 September. The summit will be an international conference aiming to find solutions to the challenges of hunger, food security, and sustainability.
Foodbank has been supported by PepsiCo Australia since 1999, with the latest donation of 50 metric tonnes of oats equating to 1.4 million serves.
Foodbank Australia CEO, Brianna Casey, said the organisation was so grateful for the support it has received from PepsiCo over the past 25 years.
“Programs such as our Collaborative Supply Program which allows components of a product to be donated, ensures the Foodbank warehouses are stocked with key staples, such as oats, throughout the year,” said Casey.
“We are so proud to be part of this collaboration between PepsiCo and OpenWay Foods, who dedicated manufacturing time to package the Quaker Oats into household-friendly sized bags.”
