WASHINGTON — In recognition of the holiday season, the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) is donating 200,000 meals to families facing hunger.

The donation was made in part through sponsorship of the Protein PACT for the People, Animals & Climate of Tomorrow. NAMI has committed to working with the US Department of Agriculture and Feeding America to help fill the protein gap by 2025.

“The Protein PACT represents our firm commitment to ensuring meat will sustain generations to come, including by acting urgently to meet the needs of families facing hunger now,” said Julie Anna Potts, NAMI president and chief executive officer. “Meat Institute members are among the nation’s leaders in action to end hunger, and we will continue taking every step to support that mission.”

Examples of contributions from Protein PACT partners include:

• The American Feed Industry Association’s donation of 5,000 meals to Feeding America.
• The Beef Alliance and the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef’s support of the non-profit Beef Sticks for Backpacks, whose mission is to produce and donate beef sticks to children facing food insecurity in Colorado.
• The National Pork Board’s efforts to double the pork industry’s national giving by 2030 to help feed more food insecure people and bolster the overall health of rural communities.

In 2022, NAMI members facilitated over $9 million in food security donations.

To promote greater collaborative efforts fighting food insecurity, NAMI moved to make food security a non-competitive issue in 2022.