Peace starts with food

On Friday 9 October 2020, the World Food Programme (WFP) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger and food insecurity around the world.

The Noble Prize is a well-deserved recognition of WFP’s dedication to providing effective, timely, scalable solutions that save lives, reduce vulnerability and restore dignity. It is also a strong reminder that peace is not just the absence of war, but the presence of justice, and that food security is a necessary step toward a conflict-free society.

WFP is one of Cartier Philanthropy’s oldest partners: from Burkina Faso to Jordan, from Mozambique to Senegal, Cartier Philanthropy has been supporting this extraordinary humanitarian organisation since 2014. Today, we are therefore celebrating our long-term alliance and common commitment to improving the lives of the most vulnerable, ensuring children and their families have access to the services they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

With our support, WFP has established and strengthened community-led sustainable school meals programmes that keep students in class and engaged, while opening up new markets for family farmers and offering dignified livelihood opportunities to refugees and vulnerable populations.

Most of these programmes are still running today.

In Mozambique, smallholder farmers that grow maize, beans and fresh vegetables for school meals are learning simple and affordable solutions to reduce post-harvest losses and increase their income.

In Burkina Faso, a women-led dairy supply chain is linking small-scale cattle farmers and local dairy producers with school canteens where schoolchildren are offered fresh yogurt as a mid-morning snack.

In Jordan, children are receiving school meals thanks to the Healthy Kitchen initiative which employs and empowers Syrian refugee and vulnerable Jordanian women and men.