World Hunger Day

Hunger is an international epidemic, killing more people than AIDs, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Current figures indicate that there are 821 million people across the world who do not have enough to eat – this is an incomprehensible figure and a fact that many people don’t often think about.

World Hunger Day was designated to help the world do just that; in fact it was created eight years ago to raise awareness of hunger and highlight sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty. It’s a day that certainly means a lot to Thermo King and has given us inspiration in our efforts to help address hunger by utilizing our expertise and innovation within the Transport Industry. 

Our company was founded 80 years ago to ensure the safe, refrigerated transport of perishable foods so that people could enjoy fresh, healthy meals both locally and around the world. We have done this through continual product and process improvements to ensure both are sustainably responsible. The technological advancements, coupled with our passion around hunger relief, have provided opportunity for Thermo King and our dealers to help make a difference.

Our We Move Food™ program enables the delivery of meals to people in need through grants, volunteering, refrigerated products and in-kind services. We recently expanded the program to help reach more food banks and help them to recover and redirect food that would go to waste, and ultimately get more healthy, nutritious foods to families in need. Sustainability, the theme for this year’s World Hunger Day, is a key component.

We know that one-third of food produced globally is wasted, creating more than eight percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions – and 25 percent of that food waste could be reduced using cold chain technology.

Not only do we take great pride in bringing the world closer together by helping to deliver nutritious food to every continent, no matter the season; we consider it our responsibility to help. To date, we have we have committed $750,000 to hunger relief organizations across the United States through the We Move Food program. This equates to more than 5.7 million meals to those in need.

We are committed to accelerating our efforts and just last week, launched the We Move Food™ program at our Hastings, Nebraska location with a $10,000 grant to fund the Salvation Army’s summer mobile food pantry. The mobile pantry serves an average of 300 meals a day in the summer, helping to alleviate the added challenge that the season brings for those struggling with hunger – particularly families who face increased child care costs and the loss of free or reduced school lunches.

This World Hunger Day, I am proud to reflect on the work that our employees, the Thermo King Dealer network and the Ingersoll Rand Foundation have done thus far. More importantly, I’m excited to see our efforts multiply as we continue the important work to end hunger and increase food security throughout the world.

Thank you,

Ray Pittard

President of Thermo King Corporation