Truvia® Business Helps The UN World Food Programme Feed Almost 50,000 Bolivian Schoolchildren

WAYZATA, Minn., Aug. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Truvia^® business announced it has helped to feed 49,705 Bolivian schoolchildren in the first two years of its three-year partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme, a collaboration made possible by World Food Program USA, a non-profit organization that connects the U.S. private sector with humanitarian partners to solve global hunger. The Truvia^® business launched its "Sharing a Sweet Future" $1 million charitable initiative in 2012 to help reduce childhood hunger in Bolivia.

With nearly 40 percent of the Bolivian population unable to afford adequate food for a healthy life and 65 percent of all rural households unable to afford the minimum recommended caloric intake, the Truvia^® business launched its "Sharing a Sweet Future" initiative to help improve these communities through better nutrition, safety and education.

"By providing two meals a day to children in schools, we are providing nutrient-rich meals and motivating children to come to school and learn," said Matthew Jacobs, international product line manager of the Truvia^® brand. "The goal of this initiative is ultimately to help establish a self-sufficient community and the best way to do that is through better nutrition and education."

The Truvia^® business is encouraging consumers to visit www.sharingasweetfuture.com to view five videos that tell the stories of children, families and farmers living in Bolivia. Consumers can share these videos on Facebook and Twitter using #SweetFuture in an effort to raise awareness for and combat childhood hunger.

In the first two years of its partnership with World Food Program USA, the Truvia^® business has provided 97 metric tons of vitamin-fortified vegetable oil through its funding. Truvia^® business donations also contributed to the building of 125 fuel-efficient stoves in rural schools, which 750 parents and school employees were trained to build and use. These cleaner stoves replaced traditional cook stoves, allowing users to make food with safer stoves that use less fuel. The new stoves also generate less harmful smoke, which will benefit over 17,000 children in the years to come and minimize environmental destruction.

The "Sharing a Sweet Future" campaign is one element of the Truvia^® brand's comprehensive corporate responsibility program. As the leading stevia brand, the business is committed to sourcing responsibly, stewarding natural resources and working to improve communities. Consumers can visit www.sharingasweetfuture.com to learn more about "Sharing a Sweet Future" and to tell the Truvia^® brand what organization they'd like to see the brand partner with next year.

About the Truvia^® business
Truvia^® natural sweetener is a great tasting, zero-calorie sweetener made with the best tasting part of the stevia leaf. Truvia^® natural sweetener is #1 in its category of zero-calorie natural sweeteners in the U.S. and is also available to consumers in Europe and Latin America. Truvia^® stevia leaf extract is also a versatile sweetening ingredient used to reduce calories and sugar in foods and beverages. The Truvia^® business uniquely manages its stevia supply chain from Field to Table having established a global agricultural standard for stevia. For more information, visit www.truvia.com.

About Cargill
Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 142,000 people in 65 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. Through its longtime, $14 million partnership with World Food Programme, Cargill is working to improve the health and nutrition of people in need around the world.  For more information, visit http://www.cargill.com/corporate-responsibility/food-security/index.jsp

About The United Nations World Food Programme
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, reaching more than 80 million people in 75 countries with food assistance in 2013.

About World Food Program USA
World Food Program USA works to solve global hunger, building a world where everyone has the food and nutrition to lead healthy, productive lives. World Food Program USA builds support for the UN World Food Programme through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. To learn more, visit www.wfpusa.org.

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SOURCE Truvia