AFRICA – American food and pet food manufacturer, J. M. Smucker Company has become the newest corporate partner of Partners in Food Solutions, an independent non-profit organization that works to increase the growth and competitiveness of food companies in Africa and beyond.

Partners in Food Solutions comprised of a consortium of world-class food industry companies i.e. General Mills, Cargill, Bühler, DSM, The Hershey Company and Ardent Mills aims to improve access to safe, nutritious, affordable food and promote sustainable economic development across food value chains in Africa.

For over a decade, the organization has connected highly skilled volunteers from its corporate partners with entrepreneurial food companies in Africa to help strengthen their businesses.

Volunteers have contributed more than 100,000 pro-bono consulting hours and with the addition of Smucker, Partners in Food Solutions partner companies represent over 800 years of food industry knowledge and experience, stated the organization.

“As a food Company, we are passionate about ensuring global food security and are thrilled to support Partners in Food Solutions and its ground-breaking efforts to aid African communities in this area,” said Tamara Fynan, Executive Director, Community Engagement and Philanthropy, The J. M. Smucker Company.

“The unique opportunity to engage our employees and leverage their technical and business expertise to make a meaningful impact is especially exciting. Our employees share in our passion to make a positive difference in the world and will be eager to lend their support to this great cause,” she added.

As the population of Africa is expected to double by 2050, ensuring communities have access to an adequate supply of safe, nutritious and affordable food is more important than ever.

Through a remote, virtual consulting model, pioneered by Partners in Food Solutions and recognized by political and development leaders around the world, volunteers from Smucker will have the opportunity to support African food businesses by sharing their technical and business expertise.

“The J.M. Smucker Company is a trusted food producer with a talented workforce who are committed to doing good in the world. They bring new expertise and capacity that will help us go even further in supporting a critical link in the African food value chain – local processors – to improve food security across the continent,” said Partners in Food Solutions CEO Jeff Dykstra.

The timing of this new partnership could not be more appropriate as COVID-19 has the potential to have a long-term impact on Africa’s food system in ways that are unimaginable.

“Our volunteers are helping our clients address current challenges so they can become stronger and more resilient. The J.M. Smucker Company has a long history of creating successful brands and being able to utilize their expertise and experience will be invaluable for many of our clients right now,” highlighted Jeff.

Partners in Food Solutions has a network of more than 1,200 expert volunteers who have shared their technical and business knowledge with over 1,500 clients.

With the addition of Smucker, Partners in Food Solutions will be able to tap into its 7,000+ employees and provide even greater support to its African clients.

The Company’s portfolio of 40+ brands include jam, peanut butter, jelly, fruit syrups, beverages, shortening, ice cream toppings, oils, and other products comprising of iconic products such as Folgers, Jif, Milk-Bone, Café Bustelo, Smucker’s, Uncrustables and Rachael Ray Nutrish.

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