Cargill has announced a donation of $1 million to World Food Program USA in honor of the U.N. World Food Programme’s (WFP) Nobel Peace Prize for 2020. Cargill’s donation matches the cash award that comes with the Nobel Peace Prize and is in recognition of the organization’s efforts to combat hunger, help build a world free of conflict and prevent the use of food as a weapon of war.

According to Cargill, solving hunger is the greatest challenge of today. The U.N. WFP estimates that the number of severely hungry people could jump to a quarter-billion people by the end of 2020. That is why Cargill is calling on the U.S. corporate sector to join the campaign to Stop Starvation Now and ensure that millions of severely hungry people get the food they need to survive.

“The Nobel committee could not have chosen a more deserving organization for the Nobel Peace Prize. The WFP has worked tirelessly to end systemic hunger, and we are thrilled to celebrate and honor them by matching the peace prize award,” said Michelle Grogg, vice president of corporate responsibility at Cargill. “This $1 million contribution builds on our 20-year partnership to address food insecurity and advance farmer livelihoods around the world, and we encourage others to join in and support the WFP as it will take all of us working together to end systemic hunger and ensure a safe, sustainable and affordable food system for all.”

WFP USA president and chief executive officer Barron Segar, said, “The Nobel Peace Prize and Cargill’s generous donation is a tribute to U.N. World Food Programme staff who put their lives on the line every day to provide food and assistance to more than 100 million hungry children, women and men around the world. It’s a matter of life and death – literally – for millions of people edging closer to the brink of starvation. Cargill’s support is critical in saving lives and bringing hope to millions impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic and those caught in the crossfires of war.”

As a strategic partner of WFP USA and supporter of the U.N. WFP for more than 20 years, Cargill has supported a wide range of programmatic areas, including school meals, programs for smallholder farmers and disaster relief operations in many countries around the world.