CARGILL Philippines partnered with Save the Children Philippines to launch a comprehensive program for Filipino children and their families amid the pandemic.

The program will provide access to improved health and nutrition services, livelihood and interventions, and the recovery of communities from socio-economic setbacks caused by the Covid19 pandemic and other natural disasters.

An estimated 5.7 million children under five are on the brink of starvation across the globe. The world is facing the biggest global hunger crisis of the 21st century.

The Philippines ranks 9th in the world with the highest stunting prevalence where 1 in 3 Filipino children in the age group of 0-5 is stunted for their age.

This serious condition could be irreversible after two years unless treated.

National statistics revealed that 4.2 million Filipino families are experiencing hunger with 16.8 percent saying they lack food as one of the results of the Covid19 restrictions or job loss due to the pandemic.

Because of this, Cargill Philippines and Save the Children introduced three innovative projects to benefit children and communities in the provinces of Batangas, Bulacan and in the next three years.

“Cargill Philippines is deeply committed to building sustainable food supply chains in our local communities and creating meaningful environmental, social, and economic impacts. Driving greater focus on our sustainability initiatives allows us to contribute towards enriching farming communities and providing them with improved access to nutrition and livelihood,” Sonny Catacutan, president of Cargill Philippines and managing director of Cargill Animal Nutrition and Health Philippines, said.