4-H Council, Buffett Foundation Join Forces to Combat Hunger

By CnAgri2012-09-04 20:49:26 Print

National 4-H Council is pleased to announce its partnership with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation by supporting the Invest an Acre program. This partnership will educate young people on the issues of food security and hunger relief, and will empower 4-H'ers to take action on this critical issue now, and as future leaders.

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, an organization that strengthens food security for vulnerable populations at home and abroad, recently launched the Invest an Acre program - a collaboration that includes, ADM, Monsanto, and Feeding America. Launched in 2012, Invest an Acre is the first wide-scale effort to organize U.S. farmers to support hunger relief, and enables farmers across the country to donate one acre or more of crop proceeds to help fight hunger in their own communities.

In partnership with Invest an Acre, 4-H will establish pilot projects with 4-H programs in five key states engaging thousands of 4-H members and volunteers in community-based food-security and hunger-relief projects.

"Throughout the United States and the world, young people are the solution to the challenges of feeding the population, today and tomorrow," said Donald T. Floyd Jr., president and CEO of National 4-H Council. "Youth have shown that when given an opportunity, they are eager to take on the problems of hunger relief and food security. Through the Invest an Acre program, 4-H and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation can provide them with that opportunity as well as the education they need to make full use of it."

Each of the five states will tailor its programming to local circumstances that best meet the needs of the community. 4-H'ers in these states will engage with their local farmers in the Invest an Acre program, and will also work with their neighbors encouraging them to make food and cash donations to local hunger-relief efforts. 4-H'ers may also start local community gardens and food banks.

In addition to spearheading this innovative new partnership, National 4-H Council is also pleased to announce that Howard W. Buffett has joined its Board of Trustees.