Nepalese schoolgirls taking advantage of our OneEgg program.

TODAY IS WORLD FOOD DAY.

It’s a reminder that the ache of hunger is present for millions of people around the globe. But while we live in a world that often seems more focused on large-scale solutions, when it comes hunger relief, sometimes it’s the simplest solutions that can transform seemingly small ripples into waves of impact.

Solutions can take many forms. Sharing knowledge to give a hand-up, not a hand out, is one example. Another is the small acts of neighborliness and kindness that allow people to keep their dignity.

Caring runs deep at Tyson Foods. For nearly 20 years, we’ve worked to provide hunger relief in the communities where we live and work. Grants and product donations to strategic food banks and nonprofit organizations are the bulk of this support.

Through growth and acquisitions, we have become neighbors to more and more people every year, and we’re adding to our neighborhood every day. This not only helps us grow our business, but also allows us to bring hunger relief to even more people.


Our Tyson Foods Team members and OneEgg partners in Nepal

EXPANDING OUR GLOBAL REACH WITH ONEEGG

What many people may not realize is that our efforts to feed the hungry already span around the globe.

In partnership with ONEEGG, Tyson is now helping more than 8,000 kids in developing countries receive an egg a day. These eggs give them the protein they need to grow strong physically and cognitively. We now have projects with OneEgg in six countries: Rwanda, Uganda, Haiti, and most recently Ethiopia, Honduras and Nepal.

When we help launch a One Egg chapter, we do it with the understanding that philanthropy alone will not solve the need for more protein. So we use our resources to help kickstart operations for small, local farmers who can use a business model to become sustainable over time.

That model includes supplying eggs to hungry kids, strengthened by technical assistance from our Tyson Foods Fellows, who mentor these farmers in poultry production best practices. This small act of neighborly know-how helps people keep their dignity and provides a sustainable way to feed the people in their communities.

For the Fellows, sharing their expertise may seem like a simple solution. But for the communities on the receiving end, this simple solution makes an immeasurable impact.

On WORLD FOOD DAY and year-round, these projects are one more way we’re raising the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. We’ll continue to learn and evolve in the hope that we’ll turn these simple solutions, these small ripples, into big waves of lasting impact.

Published October 16, 2018.

Author
Senior Manager of Social Enterprise, Corporate Social Responsibility at

Matt Pakula is a senior manager of corporate social responsibility for Tyson Foods. He is responsible for shared value and social enterprise projects and works with a variety of nonprofit organizations, providing strategic input to align the company’s CSR goals with business objectives, as well as tactical support for a variety social responsibility initiatives.

Before assuming his current role, Matt was a senior manager of communications and corporate contributions for The Hillshire Brands Company. He also served as director of the Hillshire Brands Foundation. Earlier in his career, Matt held a variety of roles at private and public companies in public affairs, corporate affairs, corporate contributions and publicity that ultimately led to his interest in addressing societal needs and challenges through business itself with a business model. He earned a Juris Doctor and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University.

In his free time, he serves as the treasurer of the STUDENT PRESS LAW CENTER, the nation's only legal assistance agency devoted exclusively to educating high school and college journalists about the rights and responsibilities embodied in the First Amendment, and supporting the student news media to cover important issues free from censorship. How much do you know about the First Amendment? TAKE THE SPLC QUIZ to find out.

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