Campbell Soup Company Launches Program to Advance School Nutrition
‘Full Futures: A School Nutrition Partnership’ kicks off in the Camden City School District; Campbell to invest $5 million over five years
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CAMDEN, N.J., Oct. 19, 2021—Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) today announced the launch of Full Futures, a program to foster a school nutrition environment that ensures all students are well-nourished and ready to thrive at school and in life. Campbell plans to invest $5 million over the next five years and is joined by a number of non-profit and corporate partners.
In year one, Full Futures will launch a pilot in Campbell’s hometown of Camden, N.J., reaching approximately 2,000 students enrolled in three pilot schools—Dr. Henry H. Davis Family School, Morgan Village Middle School and Camden High School—with direct programming such as nutrition education, school gardens, taste tests and menu expansions. An additional 5,000 Camden students will see enhancements through district-wide nutrition policy and menu changes.
Schools play a vital role in providing daily nutrition to children, supporting their growth and development and providing them with the nutrients they need to thrive. Children consume more than a third of their daily calories at school*, and there is an association between healthy dietary behaviors and academic performance**. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, students with higher grades are more likely to eat breakfast every day, eat fruits or drink 100% fruit juice and eat vegetables at least once per day, while avoiding soda**. Campbell recognized that these facts present a meaningful opportunity to make an impact and by leveraging the broad range of expertise and resources of local and national partners, Full Futures can advance developments in school nutrition programming and infrastructure.
“The food students eat at school has a dramatic impact on their ability to learn and impacts their wellbeing today and well into the future,” said Mark Clouse, Campbell’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We believe the Full Futures partnership will provide students the opportunity to not only succeed in school but help them reach their full potential.”
Full Futures takes a holistic approach, focusing on four key pillars:
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Building the school nutrition mindset: Making access to nutritious school food a top priority for the school district, embraced through district-wide wellness policies and expanded school meal programs that provide food for students 365 days a year.
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Improving food service infrastructure: Ensuring food service staff and other key stakeholders have the equipment, training and resources needed to execute successful and nutritious school meal programs.
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Providing nutrition education: Expanding the reach and impact of nutrition and culinary education in a variety of school settings and audiences to support nutritious food choices at school, awareness and interest in nutritious food.
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Enhancing procurement and implementing menu change: Supporting districts in procuring nutritious, locally sourced ingredients and supporting menus that are student- centered and culturally inclusive.
Campbell is the co-creator and primary funder of Full Futures, with FoodCorps providing coordinating support for the initiative and developing a blueprint that will compile the lessons learned from Camden to establish a customizable model for other districts, funders and nonprofits to adopt.
“There has never been a better time to invest in the local vision for nourishing children,” said Curt Ellis, Co-Founder and CEO of FoodCorps. “Together, with local partners and the support of Campbell, we are thrilled to be a part of taking a holistic approach to supporting school nutrition in Camden through the Full Futures initiative.”
Core partners in this effort include the Camden City School District, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, The Common Market, Food Bank of South Jersey, FoodCorps, National Farm to School Network, Wellness in the Schools, Aramark and New Jersey American Water. These organizations, several of whom have been longstanding partners, will support nutrition education and training for students and staff, procurement of fresh, local foods and measurement for the program. Youth Advisory Councils comprised of middle- and high-school students will also be key to the success of the program, ensuring student needs, tastes and preferences are considered and incorporated.
“We are very grateful for the partnership between the District and Campbell,” said Superintendent of Camden Schools Katrina T. McCombs. “I understand first-hand the power of a well-balanced meal. The Full Futures partnership will give our students the extra push to focus on their academic performance.”
Campbell, which has been headquartered in Camden for more than 150 years, is a leader in building community programs that bring together public, private and non-profit partners to create lasting change. This year, Campbell concluded the final year of its Healthy Communities program, a 10-year, $10-million effort to improve the health of young people in Camden. The program created the largest citywide network of healthy corner stores in the state, launched a citywide after-school sports program, and enhanced healthy food options and nutrition education.
“Proper nutrition is an essential component to a successful school day for every student,” said Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen. “Access to quality food and an emphasis on nutrition education is a challenge in urban areas and in communities of color. I am delighted to see Campbell, with more than 150 years in the Camden community, helping to bridge the gap between access to nutritious food and academic performance. Full Futures will help to overhaul school nutrition while bringing positive change for thousands of Camden students.”
Through the past ten years of the Healthy Communities program, Campbell and its partners identified opportunities to enhance the school nutrition environment—from cafeteria equipment and cooking techniques to menu changes, which led to the formation of Full Futures.
“I applaud Campbell, FoodCorps and the other partners on the launch of this innovative new partnership in Camden to ensure children have access to the nutritious meals they need to thrive,” said Rep. Donald Norcross. “As an advocate for school infrastructure funding, I know we must all work together to give our children opportunities to succeed.”
“We’re excited to build on Campbell’s legacy of impact with the launch of Full Futures,” said Kim Fortunato, Vice President of Community Affairs and President, Campbell Soup Foundation. “We look forward to incorporating the learnings from our pilot as we expand the program to additional Campbell communities.”
B-roll of the program in action is available at campbellsoupcompany.com/FullFuturesBroll. For more information on how Campbell is making a lasting impact in its hometown communities, visit campbellsoupcompany.com/our-impact/community/.
*Source: UC Davis
**Source: CDC’s Healthy Schools
About Campbell Soup Company
For more than 150 years, Campbell (NYSE: CPB) has been connecting people through food they love. Generations of consumers have trusted Campbell to provide delicious and affordable food and beverages. Headquartered in Camden, N.J. since 1869, Campbell generated fiscal 2021 net sales of nearly $8.5 billion. Our portfolio includes iconic brands such as Campbell’s, Cape Cod, Goldfish, Kettle Brand, Lance, Late July, Milano, Pace, Pacific Foods, Pepperidge Farm, Prego, Snyder’s of Hanover, Swanson and V8. Campbell has a heritage of giving back and acting as a good steward of the environment. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 as well as the FTSE4Good and Bloomberg Gender-Equality Indices. For more information, visit www.campbellsoupcompany.com or follow company news on Twitter via @CampbellSoupCo.
About FoodCorps
Together with communities, FoodCorps connects kids to healthy food in school so that every child—regardless of race, place or class—gets the nourishment they need to thrive. Our AmeriCorps leaders transform schools into places where all students learn what healthy food is, care where it comes from, and eat it every day. Building on this foundation of direct impact, FoodCorps develops leaders, forges networks and pursues policy reforms that in time have the potential to improve all of our nation’s 100,000 schools. To learn more about FoodCorps’ work across the country, visit http://www.foodcorps.org.
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