Citi Taiwan held its 18th Citi Global Community Day at which Citi colleagues purchased food supplies for food boxes that would be donated to orphanages. Looking to address the challenges of ‘Food Security’, Citi Taiwan tied up with the Waiting Children Council of Social (hereinafter referred to as WCC) to donate over 1,200 food boxes to 43 orphanages, so that the children at these orphanages could enjoy healthy and delicious food.
Climate change related weather hazards such as floods and droughts has caused a decline in agricultural production, while the Russia-Ukraine War has affected agricultural exports, driving up the prices of food and raw materials. As a result, the food crisis has been worsening. Citi’s 2023 Global Community Day focuses on the challenges of ‘Food Security’, and encourages Citi employees around the world to address food shortages through their community initiatives. Citi colleagues in Taiwan have also been taking an active role in understanding these challenges better. In May and June, more than 2,800 Citi colleagues and their families joined this year’s Citi Global Community Day, and visited the SolarFarm Corporation and the Benzhi Mountain Farm to gain a better understanding of food and agriculture education and the importance of food security in Taiwan.
Aftab Ahmed, Chairman of Citibank Taiwan Ltd. and Citi CEO for Taiwan, said, “Citi Global Community Day is a wonderful Citi tradition that our colleagues love to actively participate in. This year, the event was even more meaningful as the Citi Taiwan team chose helping orphanages as the focus. We came together as a cohesive group and pooled our energy and financial support to be there for orphans in the community by putting together food packs.”
Since 2006, “Citi Global Community Day” has been held every May and June in more than 80 countries and 450 cities around the world, resulting in a total of over 5 million hours of volunteer service. Over the years, more than 28,000 Citi Taiwan colleagues have participated in the “Citi Global Community Day”. Even through the pandemic, Citi colleagues made donations, advocated and connected online to gain a deeper understanding of social issues. In 2022, the number of participants reached 3,456, ranking the highest in Citi Asia Pacific.
For this year’s Global Community Day, Citi called on more than 2,800 Citi colleagues, their families and friends to participate. The total contribution which included money, food supplies and organic vegetables and fruit, amounted to over NT$ 580,000. On June 3, the day of Citi Global Community Day, Citi volunteers gathered at the event site to check and pack the purchased food such as rice crackers, nuts, vegetable biscuits, Aiyu, dried fruits, and vegetable crisps in boxes. Over 1,200 Citi food boxes were packed and will be distributed to 43 social welfare organizations and orphanages.
Furthermore, the Citi Global Community Day this year also brings in the idea of Family Day. The venue also had game booths for food security, DIY workshops, and a charity bazaar to help Citi colleagues understand how long-established charities and social enterprises in Taiwan are trying to solve social issues through innovative methods.
With approximately 770 million people worldwide suffering from malnutrition, food security is one of the major crises affecting the world today. According to a recent study by Citigroup, the impact of malnutrition on the world economy could be as high as US$ 3.5 trillion per year, which is equivalent to a loss of US$ 500 per person in the global population. In response to this, Citi Foundation announced the first Global Innovation Challenge in February to help nonprofit organizations extend their influence and create innovative solutions for food security around the world. A total of US$ 25 million will be provided to 50 nonprofit organizations throughout the world to support the creative development, testing, and expansion of solutions to food security issues that improve the health and economic well-being of families and communities.
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