World Food Programme (WFP) gave Mastercard the 2017 Hunger Hero Award for the company’s contributions towards achieving a Zero Hungry world.
World leaders have set out the Sustainable Development Goals, in which the dream of a world with Zero Hunger is included. The World Food Programme supports the Zero Hunger agenda, which pledges to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
Over the past five years, Mastercard and the World Food Programme have worked together on some important programs. The global payment solutions and technologies company provides the power to unlock innovation in food assistance delivery. The partnership has worked to bring new ideas to WFP programs and raise important funds.
One significant instance of the successful partnership of Mastercard and WFP was their response to the refugee crisis in Syria. Mastercard was able to deliver electronic payments for 2.2 million refugees in Jordan and Lebanon by automatically wiring money to prepaid cards, allowing refugees to purchase the local produce they need efficiently.
Along with relief efforts, Mastercard also has a donation platform that integrates charitable giving into everyday life. With their bank and retail partners, the company has helped raise funds to provide over 17 million school meals to vulnerable children around the world.
During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga accepted the Hunger Hero award on behalf of the company. Banga emphasized that core to the DNA of Mastercard is the belief that business can be a force for good in the world.
“Social causes and issues are not just the responsibility of governments, aid agencies, NGOs and charitable organizations; I believe there is a clear role for the private sector to play in addressing some of the issues facing the world,” said the CEO.
“At Mastercard we have global technology that can be used in new ways to innovate and include data and insights that can help inform and educate, and a whole organization of talented people who are motivated to come to work every day to help make a difference. We partner with organizations of all sizes around the world. For us it is more about the vision of building an inclusive society where financial, digital and gender inclusion are the norm. Alongside that we want to drive inclusive growth, understanding the challenges faced by different countries or societies, and look at how technology and data can solve them.”
All this is done in Mastercard’s corporate social responsibility programs, where they commit to giving at least 500 million individuals greater access to the financial system by 2020, with more than 250 million underserved people already reached.