PepsiCo Launches “ShareTheMeal” Challenge in Partnership with UN World Food Programme to Support Most Vulnerable in Lebanon

PepsiCo Launches “ShareTheMeal” Challenge in Partnership with UN World Food Programme to Support Most Vulnerable in Lebanon

NNA - The PepsiCo Foundation, PepsiCo’s philanthropic arm, has committed to provide more than half a million meals to some of the most vulnerable families in Lebanon, through a donation of USD 310,000 to its long-term partner the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). This initiative marks the next milestone on PepsiCo’s mission to reinforce food security across the region.

Leveraging its global footprint and international brand influence, the company is also launching the PepsiCo Challenge on ShareTheMeal, WFP’s award-winning app, which enables users to feed a person in need with just the tap of their smartphone. Starting during the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Challenge aspires to reach 1 million meals with crowd-sourced contributions from across the region and beyond, thus enabling WFP to continue its vital work, providing life-saving food assistance in Lebanon.

Over the past two years, the devastating combination of economic downturn, steep inflation, COVID-19, and the Beirut explosion has led to more than 75 percent of the Lebanese population living in poverty, a number that has nearly doubled since 2019. The Lebanese pound has been decimated, losing approximately 90 percent of its market value and coupled with the inflation on food costs, the price of the WFP