CHESTERFIELD, Va., Aug. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Sabra
CEO Shali Shalit-Shoval joined
employees in Chesterfield County,
VA, to launch Sabra's "Plants with a Purpose,"
a community engagement mission dedicated to helping alleviate the
impact of Food Deserts in the U.S. Food Deserts, as defined by
the USDA, are neighborhoods and towns without ready access to
fresh, healthy, affordable food (specifically fruits and
vegetables). It is estimated that more than 23 million
Americans live in impacted areas. Sabra Dipping Company is the
maker of America's best-selling hummus and a range of dips and
spreads, and this program aligns with their vision of bringing
people together through fresh food experiences.
Sabra's Plants with a Purpose initiative will take
root with a pilot program in the company's backyard in Richmond and Chesterfield County, VA, through the
establishment of an organic employee work-share garden on Sabra's
campus, home to the company's Gold LEED certified
hummus-manufacturing facility. In comparison to areas of similar
size, shockingly, Richmond has
been described as the largest food desert in the country. Sabra
employs more than 600 professionals at its Virginia facility. The on-site garden and
associated support for community engagement, nutrition and culinary
education programming is being coordinated at launch in
collaboration with Renew Richmond, a non-profit dedicated to urban
agriculture in underserved Richmond,
VA, communities. The efforts leverage Sabra's nutrition
and culinary expertise while fostering and furthering community
driven initiatives. The pilot is the first step in a long-term
initiative the company expects to expand over time.
"This is the land of plenty, but there are plenty who lack far
too much including access to the basic necessity of fresh fruits
and vegetables," said Sabra CEO Shali
Shalit-Shoval while introducing Plants with a
Purpose to employees. "As a brand dedicated to creating a
fresh new way of eating and connecting, it is not enough to offer
products that enhance and inspire consumption of fresh produce. We
are uniquely positioned to help address this very real and
sometimes surprising challenge facing communities across the
country, where access to affordable fast food far outpaces or
entirely overtakes access to quality, affordable fruits and
vegetables. And, we will begin right here, in our backyard, where
the need is great. It is our mission to bring people together
through better food experiences, and we have an opportunity to step
up with this program that aligns with our purpose as a
business."
To further shed light on a little-known crisis in the U.S., here
are some facts and resources:
- USDA :
http://ers.usda.gov/publications/ap-administrative-publication/ap-036.aspx
- VSU Food Desert Report:
http://www.agriculture.vsu.edu/files/docs/vce.pdf
- Living in a Food Desert Documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jicYbi-8ZNU
Sabra 'Plants with a Purpose' Guiding
Goals:
- Increase awareness around the issue of Food Deserts
- Drive results by engaging with and educating the community,
partnering with NGOs and non-profits emphasizing community-driven
solutions
- Support environmentally and economically sustainable solutions
to increase produce consumption
- Provide peer-driven nutritional and culinary workshops in
target communities
- Collaborate with health agencies and other private entities
seeking to address the issue
- Expand the program each year
"We expect to grow Plants with a Purpose each
year," added Shalit-Shoval. "Our objective is to begin at home,
with our employees, their families and the communities where we
conduct business and then expand our reach geographically. By
supporting the individuals and organizations already driving
incredible grass roots efforts on the ground, we aspire to propel
their success, whether through the granting of land, seeds,
nutrition education, culinary inspiration or transportation. Each
community will play an active role in determining the unique
expression and best approach. This is a long term commitment to
make an impact and drive positive change."
Sabra is one of the first companies in the U.S. to make this the
sole focus of its CSR efforts. After a long review of causes to
support, along with employee feedback, Sabra selected Food Desert
solutions and is setting a goal to be a corporate leader and
catalyst to bring more attention and dedication to the cause.
"The solution to the challenge of Food Deserts is multifaceted,
but not complex," said Dr. M Ray
McKinnie, interim Dean at VSU College of Agriculture, which
initiated a Food Desert study and associated documentary raising
awareness for this issue. "Bringing vegetables into an urban
area is not enough. There are several components to successfully
improving Food Deserts. Access to quality and affordable produce
must be supported by relevant education and community connections.
A sustained systematic and collaborative approach will lead to
success. We are thrilled to have Sabra take a leadership role in
helping meet these needs locally and shine a light on this issue
nationally."
About Sabra Dipping Company, LLC
Sabra Dipping
Company, LLC is the leader in the refrigerated dips and spreads
category and producer of America's top-selling hummus. Sabra's
award-winning products offer consumers fresh new ways of eating and
connecting and include more than a dozen flavors of hummus and a
wide range of refrigerated dips and spreads including salsa,
guacamole and Greek yogurt dip. Sabra's range of offerings
includes items that are non-GMO, vegetarian, gluten-free, kosher
and vegan and can be found nationwide in club stores, supermarkets,
specialty retailers and through food service. Sabra operates a
gold LEED certified factory in Virginia. Find Sabra at www.sabra.com,
www.facebook.com/sabra and @Sabra on Twitter and Instagram.
Sabra Dipping Company was formed as a U.S./Canadian joint
venture between Strauss Group and PepsiCo. The Sabra joint venture
draws on both Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, and Strauss Group's
expertise to continue building this growing business.
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SOURCE Sabra Dipping Company, LLC