Chicken Farmers of Ontario and Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Announce Partnership to Provide Ontario Grown Chicken to Ontario Food Banks

Rob Flack, Ontario's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, joins Chicken Farmers of Ontario, Maple Leaf Foods Inc., and Feed Ontario to recognize collaboration across the chicken supply chain to support food banks

LONDON, ON, Oct. 7, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) and Maple Leaf Foods Inc., one of Canada's leading producers of value added prepared meats and poultry products, formally announced their partnership to provide Ontario's food banks with a steady supply of healthy, high quality, locally-grown chicken.

The partnership includes Feed Ontario, the province's largest collective of hunger-relief organizations. Rob Flack, Ontario's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London, joined the announcement, which took place at the London Food Bank. Also present were representatives from Maple Leaf Foods, food bank staff and volunteers, and local chicken farmers.

The partnership will support the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks Program, a program that enables Ontario chicken farmers to donate their chicken to food banks across Ontario.

The CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks Program was launched in 2015, in partnership with Feed Ontario, an organization that unites food banks, industry partners, and local communities in efforts to end poverty and hunger across Ontario. The CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks Program, at its core, helps to ensure Ontario food banks can access high quality protein, like chicken, which is in high demand. CFO's family-run farms are each eligible to donate up to 300 birds per year, through the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks Program. Ontario's world-class chicken farmers have donated at least 1 million meals annually since the inception of the program.

These significant donations are made possible in part by Feed Ontario, which provides logistical and administrative support, and Maple Leaf Foods, which processes and tray- packs the Ontario-grown chicken. The tray-packed chicken is distributed throughout the Feed Ontario distribution network, allowing for food bank volunteers to spend less valuable time repackaging chicken and allowing for more food banks with capacity constraints, including smaller food banks, to participate in the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks Program.

CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks donors are eligible for a tax credit of 25 per cent of the fair market value of their donated chicken through the Government of Ontario's Community food program donation tax credit.

Food bank use remains at an all-time high, 2024 marks the eighth consecutive year of food bank use increases with more than 1 million Ontarians relying on a food bank, a 25 per cent increase over 2023 and nearly double that of four years ago. With now 1 in 16 Ontarians relying on a food bank, Ontario chicken farmers and Maple Leaf Foods are continuing to step-up to provide high quality proteins to people in need with this recently announced partnership.

Quotes:

"Thank you to the world-class Chicken Farmers of Ontario and our local agribusiness champion Maple Leaf Foods for this incredible partnership to help feed those most in need in our society with excellent Ontario poultry. Our province's farmers, food processors, and agribusinesses are not just key economic drivers of jobs and continued growth, but are committed community members dedicated to giving back and making a positive difference." – The Honourable Rob Flack, Ontario's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.

"Through the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks Program, Ontario's chicken farmers donate chicken contributing to over 1 million meals, each year. With Ontario food banks experiencing increased pressure, we are pleased to be formally announcing a partnership with Maple Leaf Foods Inc., ensuring that Ontario food banks are continually able to access a steady supply of healthy, high quality, locally-grown chicken." – Murray Opsteen, Chair, Chicken Farmers of Ontario

"The CFO Cares program is persistently focused on getting chicken to food banks to support our local communities. This has been accomplished through a longstanding partnership with Feed Ontario, and now Maple Leaf Food Inc. Together we are ready to keep the food bank chicken protein supply chain strong." - Andrea Veldhuizen, 1st Vice-Chair & Board Director for CFO Cares, Chicken Farmers of Ontario

"Food insecurity is a crisis in Ontario. In addition to our work to address the root causes of food insecurity, it is important to meet the immediate needs of people for nutritious, high quality foods. With the support of our London poultry facility, we are proud to be part of this cross-sector partnership." –Sarah Stern, Director Community Involvement, Maple Leaf Foods Inc. & Executive Director, Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security

"Feed Ontario relies on the generosity of food producers in Ontario and we are grateful for Chicken Farmers of Ontario and Maple Leaf Foods commitment to ensuring everyone in Ontario has access to healthy and nutritious food, especially during this unprecedented time of need. This important partnership will make a significant impact on our ability to ensure that high protein chicken is available to all food banks in our network that are serving communities in every corner of our province."– Carolyn Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, Feed Ontario

About Chicken Farmers of Ontario:

Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) represents more than 1,300 family-run farms that collectively ensure Ontario consumers can constantly enjoy a reliable supply of safe, healthy, locally-grown chicken. The Ontario chicken industry is strong, vibrant, and continues to grow. The Ontario chicken industry supports 28,950 jobs and contributes over $5.3 billion to the Ontario economy on an annual basis – and our farm families operate in over 330 communities across the province. CFO continues to support local food banks through the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks program.

About Maple Leaf Foods Inc.:

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. ("Maple Leaf Foods") is a carbon neutral company with a vision to be the most sustainable protein company on Earth, responsibly producing food products under leading brands including Maple Leaf®, Maple Leaf Prime®, Maple Leaf Natural Selections®, Schneiders®, Schneiders® Country Naturals®, Mina®, Greenfield Natural Meat Co.®, Lightlife® and Field Roast™. Maple Leaf Foods employs approximately 13,500 people and does business in Canada, the U.S. and Asia. The company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI).

About Feed Ontario:

From securing fresh and healthy food sources to driving change through policy research and innovative programming, Feed Ontario unites food banks, industry partners, and local communities in its work to end poverty and hunger. Join Feed Ontario and help build a healthier province. Every $1 raised can provide the equivalent of 2 meals to an Ontarian facing hunger. Learn more at: www.feedontario.ca.

Further Inquiries:

Chicken Farmers of Ontario Kathryn Goodish
Senior Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations
Kathryn.Goodish@ontariochicken.ca

Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
Media.Hotline@mapleleaf.com

Feed Ontario Andrea Waters
Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications andrea@feedontario.ca

SOURCE Chicken Farmers of Ontario