Nearly a billion people across the world experience the effects of food insecurity, or insufficient access to enough safe and nutritious food.
LyondellBasell is committed to increasing food security in our communities by supporting food banks around the world. In alignment with our sustainability approach and goal to support a thriving society, as well as the United Nations sustainable development goal of zero hunger (SDG 2), we are dedicating our 2023 annual day of service, Global Care Day, to supporting World Food Day on October 16.
In 2022, the company donated more than $100,000 and matched $60,000 in employee giving to support food security globally across 29 community partners.
Stichting Voedselbank Rotterdam
In the Netherlands, LyondellBasell donated €25,000 to Stichting Voedselbank Rotterdam to provide access to healthy food options for the 2,000 families the food bank supports. Stichting Voedselbank launched Rotterdam’s first food bank supermarket in 2019. The innovative market helps reduce food waste and removes queues for clients as they are able to select their own groceries and choose products that meet the needs of the size of their families.
“It is important for sustainability so we make sure that as little food as possible is wasted because we can better determine what people can take,” said Susan Vermunt, manager, Food Bank Supermarket “There is less wastage here compared to the crates.”
Since 2019, LyondellBasell has donated nearly €120,000 towards Stichting Voedselbank’s mission, as well as an electric car to help the organization deliver groceries to those who are unable to get to the market.
“This is an opportunity for LyondellBasell to be a good neighbor, and more importantly, help families in the Rotterdam area,” said Jean Gadbois, senior vice president, O&P EAI Manufacturing.
Houston Food Bank
In the U.S., LyondellBasell donated $25,000 to the Houston Food Bank in 2022 in support of the Houston Food Bank’s transportation fleet, as part of a three-year commitment.
The Houston Food Bank distributes 2.3 million meals and 283,000 snacks annually at 326 meal sites in the greater Houston area. Two co-branded delivery box trucks help disperse meals for Kids Café, a program aiming to alleviate child hunger through free nutritious meals. LyondellBasell trucks have metered more than 209,000 miles and transported 262,000 pounds of produce to meal sites in Harris and surrounding counties since 2019.
Since 2017, LyondellBasell has donated more than $443,000 and matched an additional $140,000 in employee giving to the Houston Food Bank, which serves around one million people in southeast Texas.
Global support
By supporting a thriving society, LyondellBasell makes an impact far beyond the company when improving society by investing in programs that strengthen communities. Other food security initiatives in 2022 included:
- $10,000 to Tri-State Food Bank’s Tons of Turkey fundraiser in Evansville, Indiana, which purchases Thanksgiving turkeys and hams for people in need in a 33-county area, equivalent to more than 17,500 meals
- €10,000 to La Banque Alimentaire Des BDR in France for the purchase of new refrigerators and general program support
- $5,000 to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank in Ohio, which provides more than 30 million pounds of food annually to individuals and families in need
- $4,000 to the We Care of Grundy County food pantry in Morris, Illinois, for new multi-leveled pallet racks for back stock storage
- €2,000 to Tafel Bayreuth e. V. in Germany to offset increased food and energy costs
- €2,000 to Voedselbank Moerdijk in the Netherlands supporting food distribution
Beyond its Advancing Good program, LyondellBasell products are essential to the fight against food insecurity by enabling more efficient food production, transport, and storage. Our materials go into products like protective agricultural netting, food packaging, and cling-films that help maintain freshness and extend shelf-life.
For more information on other initiatives in LyondellBasell’s Advancing Good program, refer to our sustainability report.