17m eggs donated to feed the hungry

13-09-2010 | Home | News

During the past 12 months, egg farmers from around the globe have donated more than 17 million eggs to international hunger relief charities working in Central America, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and Europe.

October 8th is World Egg Day, while events are taking place around the globe celebrating the humble egg; its versatility and its many health benefits, millions of undernourished people around the world are receiving help thanks to the generous donations of egg farmers internatonally.

Egg donations
Following the earthquake in Haiti, American egg farmers donated more than 3 million eggs to the charity set up to help feed the survivors of the disaster. In addition to this, American egg farmers also donated millions of shell eggs to charities and food banks throughout the US. In Canada, as well as donating eggs to food banks nationally, each year Canadian egg farmers also donate substantial quantities of powdered egg to help communities throughout the world; during the past 12 months Canada sent 16 metric tonnes of powdered egg as far afield as Asia and Africa.

In India, egg farmers support many of the country’s schools, hospitals and orphanages, donating eggs to help provide the essential nutrition required and improve people’s overall health and diet. Similarly, in Thailand, Italy, Finland and the Czech Republic, egg farmers donate thousands of eggs to charitable institutions and food programmes every year.

International Egg Commission
The International Egg Commission, which represents egg farmers internationally, is working closely with the FAO to help address the growing dilemma of how the world will produce sufficient food to feed its rowing population. Frank Pace, Chairman of the International Egg Commission, explains: “Research from the FAO predicts that our global population will increase by a staggering 2.5 billion people during the next 40 years. We know that 1 billion of the current population is already undernourished, so finding a way to feed another 2.5 billion is a huge challenge. Egg farmers from all around the world are working together to help to solve this problem and provide a source of high quality protein to help to feed this growing population.”

Nutritionists from all countries agree that eggs are an excellent source of high quality protein, and they are also one of the most affordable sources; however for the estimated billion people living in poverty, unable to afford eggs, these donations from the world’s egg farmers are invaluable.