One in five Australians living in rural and regional communities have experienced food insecurity in new research commissioned by Kellogg’s Australia.
As part of World Food Day on 16 October, Kellogg’s commissioned research into food security and hunger in rural and regional communities. The study found that as well as 20 per cent experiencing food insecurity, 16 per cent of residents of those communities had skipped a meal over the past year because they couldn’t afford it.
To help combat these hardships Kellogg Australia Charitable Foundation (KACF) has partnered with the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) to support grants for projects such as community gardens, educational food programs, volunteer training, and additional resources.
Tamara Howe, Corporate Affairs Director Kellogg’s ANZ, said given the previous turbulent 18 months it has never been more important to support these communities.
“Through the Kellogg Australia Charitable Foundation, together with the FRRR, we are committed to help build resilience and combat food insecurity in vulnerable communities to help create a more secure and healthy future for generations to come.”
Sarah Matthee, General Manager Partnerships and Services FRRR, said it’s great to have partners like Kellogg who recognise, and are willing to help, communities who face food insecurity issues.
“Our three-year partnership with Kellogg Australia Charitable Foundation allows us to work together to support locally-identified initiatives that will help to address food insecurity in remote, rural and regional communities. This support is more important than ever, given the cumulative impacts of droughts, natural disasters and the ongoing impacts of COVID-19.”
One beneficiary of the Kellogg Australia Charitable Foundation FRRR grant is Morgan Volunteer Group, from Morgan South Australia, who utilised the grant to purchase a vehicle to deliver food to those in need.
Jakob Gamertsfelder, Founder of Morgan Volunteer Group, said the vehicle is absolutely critical to their work delivering 500 meals a week and covering over 250 km in that time.
“We’re not only delivering vital meals to those who would otherwise go hungry, we’re providing companionship and a chat to locals who can go days without seeing anyone.”
Since the start of 2021, Kellogg’s has also donated over two million serves of cereal to those in need and plan to donate another 15 million serves by 2026.