New Partnership Enables Farmers to Feed Local Families in Need

Invest An Acre Effort Allows Farmers To Donate Profits From An Acre Of Harvest To Local Food Banks

Feeding America, Howard G. Buffett Foundation and ADM launched program at event today

CHICAGO, April 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Feeding America and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) today established Invest An Acre, an innovative partnership that engages U.S. farmers in helping provide food to their neighbors.

Through Invest An Acre, farmers are able to invest the proceeds from one acre or more of their crops in Feeding America to support their local food bank. This is the first effort to mobilize farmers on a national scale to support hunger relief.  

Feeding America is the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, providing food assistance to people in every county through a network of more than 200 food banks.

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation brings resources to support this vital work by creating an opportunity for every U.S. farmer doing business with ADM to invest a portion of proceeds at the point of sale, either when the farmer signs a contract or delivers the crop.

ADM is one of the largest agricultural processors in the world. It operates the world's premier crop origination and transportation network, connecting crops and markets in more than 75 countries.  ADM transforms oilseeds, corn, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, industrial and energy uses.

Feeding America has 53 food banks operating in communities near ADM locations.

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation is underwriting all Feeding America costs as well as a public awareness campaign.  ADM is managing the accounting and transactions with farmers and the local food banks.  All of the proceeds from Invest An Acre will go towards helping the hungry in the local community.

"The vision for this program is the brainchild of Howard," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America.  "It is a paradox that our nation's farmers literally feed the world, yet people are going hungry in America.  Invest An Acre will raise dollars that will go back into communities where so many crops are grown, and where so many people are at risk of hunger.  It will also generate awareness of domestic hunger among both the general public and U.S. farmers, who are in a unique position to help our efforts."

"Invest An Acre allows farmers to fight hunger in their own communities as only farmers can. I applaud Feeding America and ADM for making this possible. This unique partnership brings together the leading hunger relief organization, a global giant in agricultural processing, and U.S. farmers in a way that can significantly reduce hunger," said Howard G. Buffett.

"Everything that ADM does starts with farmers, and their hard work helps us serve vital needs throughout the global community," said ADM Chairman and CEO Patricia Woertz. "The Invest An Acre program will give farmers a way to connect their harvest directly with the hungry in their local communities, and we are happy to work together with Feeding America and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation to make it happen."

To learn more about Invest An Acre, visit www.investanacre.org.

About Feeding America
Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

About ADM
For more than a century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) have transformed crops into products that serve vital needs. Today, 30,000 ADM employees around the globe convert oilseeds, corn, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, industrial and energy uses. With more than 265 processing plants, 400 crop procurement facilities, and the world's premier crop transportation network, ADM helps connect the harvest to the home in more than 160 countries. For more information about ADM and its products, visit www.adm.com.

Contact:

Feeding America
Ross Fraser
[email protected] 
312.641.6422

Archer Daniels Midland Company
Jackie Anderson
[email protected] 
217.424.5413

SOURCE Feeding America