WINNIPEG, MANITOBA -- (Marketwire) -- 11/17/12 -- Yesterday, the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister for International Cooperation, met with representatives from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to discuss the long-standing partnership between the two organizations in supporting Canada's humanitarian assistance through the provision of food assistance.

"The Government of Canada is working with Canadian organizations such as the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to address hunger and respond to the needs of vulnerable people in developing countries," said Minister Fantino.

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is the only Canadian organization whose principal program includes the provision of international food assistance. Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), has been a strong and continuous supporter of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank since its creation. The Canadian Foodgrains Bank supported the Government of Canada's decision to fully untie Canada's food aid budget, which contributed to the organization halving its average food aid delivery times as well as reducing costs, which has helped it deliver food aid more effectively and efficiently.

"The long-standing partnership we have with CIDA is deeply appreciated by our members, partners, and supporters," said Jim Cornelius, Executive Director of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. "It enables us to support millions more people around the world in our efforts to end global hunger."

For more information about CIDA's partnerships, please visit the CIDA website.

Backgrounder

Canada and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank: Partners in providing food assistance

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank, established in 1983, is a partnership of 15 Canadian churches and church-based agencies working to end hunger in developing countries.

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank supports three types of international humanitarian and development activities:

--  the provision of food assistance in emergency and chronic-hunger
    contexts; 
--  longer-term food-security initiatives to support efforts of households
    and communities to produce and source their own food; and 
--  cash-based nutrition programs that directly address problems of
    malnutrition. 

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is the only Canadian organization whose principal program includes the provision of international food assistance. CIDA has funded the Canadian Foodgrains Bank continuously since its creation, and in recent years, it has provided the majority of the organization's annual budget. The remainder of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank's funding comes from public donations made either through its members or directly to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

Each of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank's 15 members implement food assistance and food security programming through local partners in developing countries. For example, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank has been responding to the ongoing food security crisis in the Sahel, and has committed $10 million to the region to provide more than 10,000 tonnes of food assistance to more than 288,000 beneficiaries.

Since 2007 the Canadian Foodgrains Bank has distributed more than 142,000 tonnes of food assistance, reaching an average of approximately 2 million beneficiaries each year.

Through its nutrition initiatives, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank has reached an average of 230,000 beneficiaries each year, including through such activities as treating severely malnourished children, providing fortified foods, and supporting nutrition-related health programs.

In fiscal year 2011-2012 the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, supported by funding from CIDA, distributed 40,849 tonnes of food and seeds to 2.2 million beneficiaries in 36 countries through 116 projects.

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank comprises these 15 members:

1.  ADRA Canada (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) 
2.  Canadian Baptist Ministries 
3.  Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace 
4.  Canadian Lutheran World Relief 
5.  Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada 
6.  Emergency Relief and Development Overseas 
7.  Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada 
8.  Mennonite Central Committee 
9.  Nazarene Compassionate Ministries 
10. Presbyterian World Service and Development 
11. Primate's World Relief and Development Fund 
12. The Salvation Army 
13. The United Church of Canada 
14. World Relief Canada 
15. World Renew (formerly Christian Reformed World Relief Committee)