Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Syngenta donates to rural Food Banks

15 percent of individuals served by a food bank are from rural areas

Agriculture giant Syngenta showed it has a big heart by concluding 2020 with a $20,000 donation to help bring technology to food banks, as well as to Ag in the classroom.

Syngenta is the founding sponsor of the Food Bank Canada Rural Support Program in 2020.  It’s year end donation, combines with its donation at the beginning of the pandemic, to make Syngenta’s total contributions reach more than $900,000 since the program’s inception.

“We are grateful for long-term partners who help us work towards our vision of a Canada where no one goes hungry,” said Chief Food Banks Canada Executive Officer Chris H Hatch.

Food Bank statistics related to rural communities:

  • Did you know that 49% of affiliates with Food Bank Canada are in rural areas?
  • Did you know that last year 15% of individuals served by a food bank were from rural areas?
  • Did you know that 34% of Food bank visits are made for children?
  • Did you know that lack of technology is one of the impediments for some of the food banks?    As a result, Food banks Canada is currently implementing a new program called Link2Feed, which is a cloud-based solution that collects real-time data on food bank use. 

“It’s fitting to continue our partnership with Food Banks Canada, because 20 years ago in November we launched Syngenta with the rural initiative.  For the past 20 years, we have been passionately focused on our customers, and part of that means we support the communities where they live and farm,” says Trevor Heck, President of Syngenta Canada.


Trending Video

Canada's Agriculture Day 2025

Video: Canada's Agriculture Day 2025

Let's celebrate Canadian agriculture.

Well, number one, you don't eat without farmers. Farmers put food on the table. And what could be more important than that?

Well, I think it's important that Canadians understand exactly what takes place, what happens to produce this food, no matter what sector you're talking about.

An awful lot of work goes into that. It's important to understand that meat does not come out of a showcase, and milk does not come out of a bottle. It's produced by farmers and hard work.

Canada has the best farmers in the world. And agriculture is vital to Canada.

In 2024, our agriculture and agri-food sector represented $150 billion of Canada's GDP, nearly $100 billion of our exports, and one in nine jobs.

From grains to fruits to dairy and beef, we are truly blessed with an incredible bounty. Having spent my whole life in agriculture, I see so much potential for the sector.

This time last year, I was proud to open our first-ever agriculture and trade office in the Indo-Pacific, the world’s fastest-growing economy, to cement our presence in the region and grow our exports even more. We've also been making historic investments to help our farmers to boost their yields, protect the planet, and earn a fair living.

The world wants more top-quality, sustainable food, and I know our Canadian farmers can deliver. And it's so important that you do that with pride. We need you.

Quite simply, you eat the most top quality food in the world. You do that because of the quality of farmers and ranchers you have in this country.

Just say thank you to a farmer or a rancher. They work very hard, yes, for a living, but also with a sense of pride in what they produce.

That's what Canada's Agriculture Day is all about.