Continuing a partnership that began in 2008, Pioneer-Hi Bred International, a DuPont business based in Des Moines, Iowa and operating in over 70 countries worldwide, contributed $10,000 to the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) in 2010.
“GCNF is leading and catalyzing action around the world. By working with national governments to apply learning’s and best practice from other countries into their own school nutrition programs, GCNF plays a critical and fundamental coordination role” described Lloyd Le Page, Director of Pioneer’s Sustainable Development Partnerships.
Pioneer Hi-Bred and DuPont are engaged with schools, education, agriculture and nutrition programs in the United States and internationally in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. Mr. Le Page’s experience at Pioneer working on sustainable development initiatives with community based organizations, donors and governments, and the private sector in developing countries made him a good fit for the GCNF Board of Directors. Mr. Le Page recently attended the Global Child Nutrition Forum in Accra, Ghana, June 1-5, 2010. Mr. Le Page went on to indicate, “Pioneer is committed to solving global food security needs. The intersection between agriculture, nutrition and health is apparent and school nutrition and education programs are an essential part of that. This is an area that benefits farming communities that we work with in the US and their counterparts globally and fits well with our Long Look philosophy.”
Pioneer notes that they are a leading developer and supplier of advanced genetics to farmers worldwide. It works to increase customer productivity, profitability and develop sustainable agricultural systems for people everywhere.
An excellent example of the work that Pioneer was involved with in the field is explained below through work Pioneer was involved with in Thailand.
- Situation: Students in several provinces throughout the north, northeast and central regions of Thailand were not receiving adequate nutrition from their school lunch program because of insufficient funding. At just 14 cents (U.S.) per student per day, these schools were receiving only 25% of necessary funding for school lunches.
- Solution: Pioneer donated high-yielding hybrid corn seeds, supplies, and agronomic advice. The schools provided land, and the communities donated the labor to raise a corn crop. Teachers and students could use the plots to learn about agriculture, biology, math, and business. Once harvested, local corn traders purchased the corn at the market or premium price. All proceeds from the crop were donated to the schools to fund more nutritional lunches.In the process, local farmers gained important experience with using hybrid seeds and best agronomic practices for their area.
- Impact: “With the contribution from this program, we reduced the nutritional deficiency rate of our students from 32 percent in 2002 to 20 percent in 2003,” said Director of Ban Wangplapom School in Nongbualamphoo Kem Pattane. The program started in 2002 and reached 18 schools. In 2008, the program had expanded to 50 schools.
As an outcome, schools became self-sufficient and no longer needed as much support from Pioneer. By reserving a certain portion of their funds from each year’s harvest, they are able to purchase farm inputs for the next year planting making the program fully sustainable. In the future these plots could be used to purchase other school supplies such as sports equipment, library books and computers.
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