NEW YORK — In an announcement that coincided with World Hunger Day, a new public-private initiative, the Coalition to Close the Protein Gap, is designed to support, deliver and fill the nation’s 800-million-pound protein gap by providing approximately 3 billion protein-rich meals to those in need.
Protein is among the most requested food by the country’s charitable food systems, but it only amounts to 14 percent of food shared, the coalition noted in its announcement.
“Millions of American families are going without the protein they need, and our farmers are already raising it. The protein gap shouldn’t exist,” Tony Robbins, 100 Billion Meals Challenge leader and hunger relief advocate, said. “The Coalition to Close the Protein Gap is building a permanent solution. I am proud to stand with every farmer, company, and leader putting real commitment behind this.”
Robbins is also a well-known speaker, author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
The coalition seeks to improve accessibility and logistics that are needed that will support this food distribution.
With its $40 million in funding, the coalition notes it will strive to expand cold storage and infrastructure to supply high-protein foods to the nation’s food relief system networks.
Robbins, working with coalition partners, and HATCH (a more than 10-year-old initiative that assists with providing high-quality protein meals), is raising awareness and public engagement in this mission to ease protein insecurity.
HATCH will be providing this implementation of logistics and infrastructure. The HATCH nonprofit has been sourcing protein directly from U.S. farmers to food banks for more than a decade through management of cold-chain logistics. Last year the group delivered more than 102 million meals to 120 food banks across the country.
“A decade of operations taught us one thing: supply alone doesn’t close the gap, infrastructure alone doesn’t close the gap. They must move together. The supply exists, and HATCH consistently and reliably gets it where it needs to go,” Daniel Leckie, HATCH CEO, said. “The Coalition will align supply and infrastructure at a scale that finally makes closing the gap possible.”
This new initiative also falls in line with the national focus for Americans to “Eat Real Food.”
Among the coalition’s founding federal partners include the Department of Health and Human Services and USDA. Also, the CDC Foundation, an independent nonprofit authorized by Congress, is partnering with HATCH, in launching a crowdfunding campaign, The Missing Piece, where donations will help build needed infrastructure to transport high-protein meals.
Among the nation’s producer associations and checkoff organizations in support of the coalition include the National Chicken Council, the National Turkey Federation, and the American Egg Board. And, current company members include Cargill, Case Farms, Elanco, Hilmar Cheese, Koch Foods, Mountaire Farms, MPS Egg Farms, Perdue Farms, Rose Acre Farms, Simmons Foods, Tyson Foods, with support from Wayne-Sanderson Farms.
“This is a monumental moment to create lasting change that will impact Americans for generations. It’s the most meaningful alignment between government, agriculture, and the hunger community I have seen in my career,” Jeff Simmons, Elanco Animal Health CEO and HATCH board chairman, said. “The protein industry has the supply, the scale, and the will. What is has needed is the right infrastructure to connect that supply to the families who need it.”
“I’m incredibly grateful to HHS and the USDA, as well as America’s farmers and the U.S. protein industry for joining the Coalition to Close the Protein Gap,” Simmons added. “Their partnership, paired with HATCH’s proven delivery model, will get more high-quality protein into communities across the country and permanently close the protein gap — without reliance on ongoing donations.” For those wishing to donate to the coalition’s efforts, visit www.closetheproteingap.org.
