PepsiCo Foundation announced on Tuesday that it will provide half a million meals to the most vulnerable families in Lebanon by donating $310,000 to the World Food Program (WFP).
“This initiative marks the next milestone on PepsiCo’s mission to reinforce food security across the region,” declared the foundation.
The ShareTheMeal challenge will enable people to feed a person in need with the click of a button.
During the month of Ramadan, the initiative aims to reach 1 million meals, supporting WFP “to continue its vital work, providing life-saving food assistance in Lebanon.”
“Over the past two years”, PepsiCo said in a statement, “the devastating combination of economic downturn, steep inflation, COVID-19, and the Beirut explosion have led to more than 75 percent of the Lebanese population living in poverty.”
It pointed to the Lebanese pound that “has been decimated, losing approximately 90 percent of its market value.” That, coupled with the inflation in food costs, has increased “twelvefold” the price of the WFP food basket.
Riad Mawass, General Manager for Franchise Food and Beverage Operations in the Levant and North Africa, said that ShareTheMeal will “help inspire people to join the campaign by donating towards a brighter future for the people of Lebanon.”
The World Food Program also highlighted the concerns over food security in Lebanon, adding that the initiative will help the poorer communities in Lebanon by providing them with income support, including food, to ease the local and global crisis.
PepsiCo also hopes to improve the livelihoods of more than 250,000 people in the agricultural supply chain by empowering women and diversifying the farming sector.
“In the Middle East, the focus remains on bolstering underserved populations, to make the entire food system stronger and ensure the region is more food secure,” PepsiCo concluded.
