After planting the seeds of collaboration a decade ago, two organizations continue to reap the rewards — and share them around the world.
Canadian Foodgrains Bank and global agri-business Bunge (formerly Viterra) are marking 10 years of partnership in the fight against global hunger. Through this initiative, Bunge allows company land near select elevators to be farmed by volunteers. The resulting crop proceeds go back to the Foodgrains Bank to help fight hunger around the world.
Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to end hunger. In the 2024-25 budget year, the Foodgrains Bank provided $74.6 million of assistance for nearly 1.2 million people in 37 countries.
Bunge is an agri-business solutions provider with a team of 37,000 employees who partner with farmers around the world to move agricultural commodities from where they’re grown to where they’re needed. The company has a history of 200-plus years with a presence in more than 50 countries. Bunge and Viterra combined in July to become one company.
On Wednesday, Dec. 3, representatives from both organizations gathered to celebrate the 10-year milestone at Bunge’s Rosser-based terminal.
Bunge territory manager Kent Klimpke said the two organizations have been supporting each other since 2015.
“Bunge is providing land around select elevators in our asset network,” he said. “The land is farmed by local volunteer farmers who graciously donate their time to growing and harvesting those crops, with the proceeds of each year’s crops supporting the Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s hunger assistance programs.”
Kyle Jeworski, head of Bunge in Canada, said the company is pleased to support the fight against global hunger.
“We have the benefit in Canada of having surplus. We produce an abundance. And to be able to give back is very meaningful for us,” he said.
Food insecurity remains a challenge in many areas of the world, and that’s why it’s important to support the great work done by the Foodgrains Bank each year, Jeworski added.
“We’ve also been providing the Foodgrains Bank with a donation of $5 per tonne of crops donated through our elevators. It’s another way that we can get the local farming community involved,” he said.
“We deal with 35,000 farmers across Western Canada, and we’re getting those communities and farmers more connected. We’re proud of the partnership.”
Since 1983, Foodgrains Bank has provided more than $1 billion of food-related assistance with over 100 international partners to address global hunger and worked in 70-plus countries around the world.
Christina Philips, director of resources and public engagement for Canadian Foodgrains Bank, said 30 volunteers helped out with five growing projects around Bunge terminals in 2025 in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
“We’re definitely very appreciative of Bunge’s continued support with this new organization. This past calendar year, donations that Bunge has facilitated through local supporters have reached $350,000 and Bunge itself has supported that with an additional $3,000 that’s a matching grant,” she said.
“Last year through our work at Canadian Foodgrains Bank, we were able to support 1.1 million people. In a world where there’s too much hunger, every person that we support makes a difference, whether that’s emergency food in times of crisis such as war or drought or whether that’s long-term sustainability where we are seeing families able to grow their livelihoods and thrive. Bunge’s support is definitely making a difference, and we’re very grateful for it.”
Andy Harrington, executive director of the Foodgrains Bank, also shared a few reflections for the occasion.
“Over the past 10 years, Viterra — now Bunge — has played a vital role in helping us respond to global hunger,” he said.
“Their support has made it easier for Canadian farmers to give, and that generosity has translated to tangible impacts for families experiencing hunger around the world. Together, under the new Bunge name, we will continue to make a difference for the 720 million people around the world experiencing hunger and food insecurity.”
In the past decade, the partnership has facilitated the donation proceeds of thousands of tonnes of grain, helping to fund emergency food assistance, nutrition programs and agricultural training implemented by local partners of Foodgrains Bank members.
Canadian Foodgrains Bank programs are undertaken with federal government support provided through Global Affairs Canada. Assistance from the Foodgrains Bank is provided through its member agencies, which work with local partners in the developing world.
In Manitoba, more than 30 growing projects took place in 2024 spanning more than 3,000 acres of land, with groups of farmers working together to harvest a crop and donate the proceeds to the Foodgrains Bank. This year’s numbers aren’t available yet, but these altruistic efforts continue in 2025 and 2026, along with other fundraising efforts from Manitobans to support this work.
