Marking 40 years of working to end global hunger

40 YEARS | Canadian Foodgrains Bank

Life begins at 40!

2023 marks 40 years of Canadian Foodgrains Bank member churches and church agencies working together to end hunger.

Take a trip through our history to discover some of the highlights from our 40-year history.


2011
Harvest of Letters
Harvest of Letters

Harvest of Letters is created as a vehicle for Canadians to advocate to members of Parliament.

2012
Syria war
Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Foodgrains Bank members respond to the war in Syria.

2014
Parliamentary committee
Building

The Foodgrains Bank is invited to appear before a Parliamentary Committee to present why food and hunger should remain a priority for the Canadian government’s aid program.

2015
Scaling Up Conservation Agriculture grant
Scaling Up Conservation Agriculture grant

Canadian government provides $14 million to scale up conservation agriculture in three East African countries. Conservation agriculture is a way of farming that emphasizes minimal soil disturbance, soil cover, and crop rotations and associations. It helps ensure land is productive for years to come, and helps farmers cope with drought and unpredictable weather.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant
Good Soil Advocacy

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides a grant to engage the government to maintain its support for agriculture in the developing world.

2016
Aid4Agriculture
TAKING ROOT CLIMATE-RESILIENT AGRICULTURE PRESERVES WATER, IMPROVES LIVELIHOODS FOR SMALL-SCALE FARMERS

The Foodgrains Bank launches Aid4Agriculture, a campaign encouraging the Canadian government to increase its commitments for small-scale farmers.

Africa drought
Africa drought

Foodgrains Bank members respond to the drought in Africa.

2017
Famine response
Sa’diya Abdirrahman Mohamed (25) and her son Abdirahiman (2) and daughter Miriam (3) lost 80 animals to the drought and only have 20 left. The have received a food voucher through ADRA.

Risk of famine response in Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan.

2019
Cyclone Idai
Katherine Chiphwanya holds a bag of maize flour she received in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai through Foodgrains Bank member Presbyterian World Service & Development, with funding from the Humanitarian Coalition. (Photo: Shaylyn McMahon)

The Foodgrains Bank joins the Humanitarian Coalition and takes part in the joint campaign responding to Cyclone Idai.

I Care Campaign
I care postcard

Over 20,000 Canadians signed and sent postcards to government to voice their support for a more compassionate and generous response to ending global poverty and hunger.

2020
COVID-19 challenges
COVID-19 challenges

The Foodgrains Bank continues work despite COVID-19.

2021
HERD (Humanitarian Early Recovery and Development) program grant
Charles Jeri and wife Memory Mutema weeding their week-old maize crop in Chawira village. The couple are beneficiaries of farming inputs and training from the Zimbabwe Council of Churches.

Canada provides a $20 million grant for both emergency food assistance as well as long-term development projects in eight countries.

2022
Horn of Africa hunger crisis
Responding to the global hunger crisis

Foodgrains Bank receives a $14 million grant from the Government of Canada to respond to the deepening hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

Until All Are Fed
Until All Are Fed

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank five year strategic framework is released.

2023
40 years of working together
40 YEARS | Canadian Foodgrains Bank

People from the Foodgrains Bank community shared their memories.