GREENFIELD, Ind., May 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Elanco Animal
Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), and Heifer
International mark a 10-year milestone in their journey that shares
the upcoming World Hunger Day mission – empowering people to
create a food secure world. Since 2008, Elanco and its employees
have joined forces to give nearly $5
million to Heifer International's efforts to achieve food
security across the globe.
Through eight projects, Elanco and Heifer International have
created more access to meat, milk and eggs through placing 35,600
animals, including cows, swine, poultry, goats, sheep and chickens
in Zambia, Cambodia, India, China,
Ecuador and Bangladesh. In addition to animals, the
partnership has provided more than 10,000 hours of training to help
farmers improve animal care practices, improve family nutrition,
strengthen communities and better protect natural resources. The
result: more than 160,000 families in emerging regions are more
food secure.
"Increasing the availability and quality of nutrition –
particularly protein – is essential, especially in areas with the
greatest need," said Pierre Ferrari,
Heifer International CEO. "World Hunger Day gives us a chance to
pause and reflect on the progress we've made with Elanco to date,
but we must drive toward new opportunities to continue empowering
people toward food security."
The Elanco and Heifer International relationship aligns with
Elanco's vision of the power food has to enrich lives and Elanco's
commitment to shared value.
"We've seen the difference giving livestock makes in the lives
of families," said Jeff Simmons,
president Elanco. "Access to innovation and training for farmers in
emerging countries makes real, sustainable change. One farmer, one
animal at a time, we have transformed communities' nutrition and
health, while reducing poverty and restoring human dignity."
Tangible Impact Enriching Lives
The impact of
the work Elanco and Heifer International have done together goes
far beyond just providing food to families in need. The
Elanco-supported projects focus on building sustainable, lasting
progress toward food security, often empowering women and other
underserved populations.
In Zambia, for example, the
Elanco and Heifer International project has shown the gift of
livestock improves food security, adds protein and diversity to the
diet, increases income and reduces the potential of poverty for
participating families. The project introduced goats, cattle and
dairy cows into a livestock-scarce region of the country.
The project participants realized:
- a 200 to 800 percent increase in income from animal
products.
- a 20 percent increase in the variety of foods in the diet,
which helps improve nutrient adequacy.
- a 12 percent increase in diet diversity for nearby households,
even without receiving livestock.
- 85 percent of families investing in children's education vs a
baseline of 10 percent.
- original households receiving animals increased their
resiliency and were 88 percent less likely than control households
to fall into asset poverty.
- among those who received dairy cows, a six liter per week
increase in milk consumption.
Over five years of the project, the families involved in the
program who are food secure year-round rose from zero to 83
percent.
Creating Economic Development and Sustained Value
Elanco also works with Heifer International and the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation on the East Africa Dairy Development
(EADD) program, which is boosting milk yields and incomes of
small-scale farmers in Africa to
help lift families and communities out of food insecurity and
poverty.
EADD trains the 136,000 participating families on dairy
husbandry, business practices and operation, and marketing of dairy
products, while also creating the needed infrastructure to market
more milk. In its first five years, Heifer and its partners
developed 27 milk collection hubs, strengthened 10 existing hubs
and formed 68 farmer business associations to manage the
plants.
"World Hunger Day creates the opportunity to discuss how we end
hunger in our lifetime. We have to transition from food relief to
food security, and Heifer is a great example of how," Simmons said.
"Creating sustained food security must be built on the mindset of
investment, not simply donations and grants. When we collaborate
across sectors and employ the right training and systems, we can
create long-term development and value that can be sustained and
replicated for other farms and communities."
Fish to Fight Hunger
Elanco continues to identify
opportunities to help farmers improve sustainable food production
and advance food security and nutrition. Aquaculture will play a
key role in the future, as fish are expected to be among the
fastest growing animal protein sources. But with limited natural
stocks, farmed fish can be a long-term, sustainable solution.
In recognition of World Hunger Day, Simmons will personally
match contributions made to Heifer International between now and
June 8. His total goal of
$10,000 can break the cycle of hunger
for 100 Cambodian families by providing the fish fingerlings,
supplies and training to help them establish aquaculture. Follow
him @JeffSimmons2050 for more and donate here.
Today, roughly a third of Cambodians live on less than
$1.25 a day and experience one of the
highest rates of malnutrition in Asia. Fish is their primary source of protein.
Providing fish and improving aquaculture practices brings the old
saying to life: teach a man to fish and feed him for a
lifetime.
About Elanco
Elanco provides comprehensive products
and knowledge services to improve animal health and food-animal
production in more than 70 countries around the world. We value
innovation, both in scientific research and daily operations, and
strive to cultivate a collaborative work environment for more than
6,250 employees worldwide. Together with our customers, we are
committed to raising awareness about global food security, and
celebrating and supporting the human-animal bond. Founded in 1954,
Elanco is a division of Eli Lilly and Company. Our worldwide
headquarters and research facilities are located in Greenfield, Indiana. Visit us at Elanco.com
and EnoughMovement.com.
About Heifer International
Heifer International's
mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth.
For more than 70 years, we have provided livestock and
environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of
those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income.
We currently work in more than 25 countries, including the United States, to help families and
communities become self-reliant. Our goal is to help families
achieve living incomes, which will allow them to feed their
families daily; educate all their children; and have proper
housing, water, hygiene and other essential resources. For
information, visit Heifer.org, read our blog, follow us
on Facebook, on Twitter or call 888.5HUNGER
(888.548.6437)
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