The Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) and Maple Leaf Foods Inc., a leading producer of value-added prepared meats and poultry products in Canada, have officially announced their partnership to provide a steady supply of healthy, high-quality, locally-grown chicken to food banks in Ontario. This partnership is in collaboration with Feed Ontario, the province’s largest network of hunger-relief organizations. The announcement was made by Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, Rob Flack, at the London Food Bank and was attended by representatives from Maple Leaf Foods, food bank staff and volunteers, and local chicken farmers.
The partnership will bolster the CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks Program. This initiative empowers chicken farmers in Ontario to donate their chicken to food banks. This program, launched in 2015 alongside Feed Ontario, aims to alleviate poverty and hunger by supplying high-quality protein to those in need. The CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks Program, which allows each of CFO’s family-run farms to donate up to 300 birds per year, has resulted in Ontario’s chicken farmers donating minimally 1 million meals annually since its launch.
Feed Ontario and Maple Leaf Foods play essential roles in this process. Feed Ontario supports this initiative by offering logistical and administrative aid, while Maple Leaf Foods processes and packages the Ontario-grown chicken. The packed chicken is then distributed to the Feed Ontario distribution network. This system allows food bank volunteers to spend less time repackaging chicken and expands the program to accommodate more food banks, including smaller ones.
The CFO Cares: Farmers to Food Banks Program offers a tax benefit as well, with donors eligible to receive a tax credit of 25% of the fair market value of their donated chicken through the Ontario government’s Community food program donation tax credit.
The need for food banks has been on the rise in Ontario, with over 1 million Ontarians relying on one in 2024, an increase of 25% over the previous year and nearly double the usage four years prior. As 1 in 16 Ontarians now depends on food banks, this newly-announced partnership promises to continue providing high-quality proteins to those in need.
Rob Flack, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness, thanked the Chicken Farmers of Ontario and Maple Leaf Foods for their dedication not just to their economic contributions but also their commitment to community service and making a positive difference.
Chair of Chicken Farmers of Ontario, Murray Opsteen, stressed the importance of the partnership in meeting the rising demand for food banks. He said that formalizing their partnership ensures continued access to high-quality, locally-grown chicken.
Andrea Veldhuizen, 1st Vice-Chair & Board Director for CFO Cares, Chicken Farmers of Ontario, and Sarah Stern, Director Community Involvement, Maple Leaf Foods Inc., also emphasized the importance of the CFO Cares program and the partnership in dealing with food insecurity in Ontario.
Additionally, Carolyn Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, Feed Ontario, noted the importance of this partnership. She expressed her gratitude to chicken farmers and Maple Leaf Foods for making it possible for everyone in Ontario to have access to nutritious food, especially during such a crucial time of increased demand.
