Truvia® Brand Launches New Social Media Campaign To Support Its "Sharing A Sweet Future" Initiative To Fight Childhood Hunger In Bolivia

-- In the First Year of Program, the Truvia® Business, through the United Nations World Food Programme, Has Provided 34,705 Bolivian School Children With Nutritionally-Balanced School Meals

WAYZATA, Minnesota, Oct. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Truvia® brand announced a new social media campaign to support its "Sharing a Sweet Future" $1 million charitable initiative, launched in 2012 to help reduce childhood hunger in Bolivia. With 66 percent of the Bolivian population living in poverty, the Truvia® team has created a series of video stories on www.sharingasweetfuture.com to shine the spotlight on the everyday hardships experienced by many Bolivian communities. The brand is encouraging consumers to view and share these videos with friends and family on Facebook or Twitter using #SweetFuture in an effort to help grow support behind the initiative and raise awareness for the need to help combat childhood hunger. Every dollar donated by the Truvia^® business feeds four kids.

"I had the privilege of spending time with families in Bolivia and seeing firsthand the daily obstacles some endure to feed their families. As a result, the Truvia^® team feels even more proud of our program, and wants to share these stories with our consumers," said Matthew Jacobs, international business development manager of the Truvia® brand. "Through our videos, consumers will be able to share Bolivian stories, while also helping to support the children and families of Bolivia."

In the first year of its three-year partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme, the Truvia® business has helped feed 34,705 Bolivian school children twice daily with nutritionally-balanced school meals through its funding of vitamin-fortified vegetable oil. Truvia® donations were also used to build 68 fuel efficient stoves in rural schools.

Many of Bolivia's children are consistently falling under the minimum daily caloric intake and suffering from nutritional deficiencies. "Sharing a Sweet Future" is helping to improve their lives and communities, through enhancing nutrition with micronutrient packets and decreasing health risks for families by establishing safer cooking conditions with clean stoves. The program will also continue to help build a sweeter future for Bolivian children in more ways than one, as enhanced nutrition motivates families to keep their children in school. By September of 2014, the Truvia® business will have provided school meals for 40,000 students, and an additional 70 fuel efficient stoves.

"We are proud of and humbled by our participation in helping provide school meals to children in Bolivia—a region adjacent to where stevia originated," said Mark Brooks, global business director of the Truvia® brand. "With the impact we have already achieved in our first year, we look forward to continuing our relationship with WFP to establish sustainable, well-nourished communities in Bolivia."

The "Sharing a Sweet Future" campaign is one element of the Truvia® brand's comprehensive corporate responsibility program. As the leading stevia brand, the business is committed to sourcing responsibly, stewarding natural resources and working to improve communities.

About the Truvia® business
Truvia® natural sweetener is a great tasting, zero-calorie sweetener made with the best tasting part of the stevia leaf. Truvia® natural sweetener is #1 in its category of zero-calorie natural sweeteners in the U.S. and is also available to consumers in Europe and Latin America. Truvia® stevia leaf extract is also a versatile sweetening ingredient used to reduce calories and sugar in foods and beverages. The Truvia® business uniquely manages its stevia supply chain from Field to Table having established a global agricultural standard for stevia. For more information, visit www.truvia.com.

About Cargill
Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 142,000 people in 65 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. Through its longtime, $14 million partnership with World Food Programme, Cargill is working to improve the health and nutrition of people in need around the world. For more information, visit http://www.cargill.com/corporate-responsibility/food-security/index.jsp

About World Food Programme
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, reaching more than 97 million people in 80 countries with food assistance last year. World Food Program USA builds support for WFP through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Learn more at: www.wfpusa.org