Industry Viewpoint: Cox Farms exemplifies leadership in hunger relief
Industry Viewpoint: Cox Farms exemplifies leadership in hunger relief
For decades, the produce industry has played an essential role in hunger relief, donating fruits and vegetables during times of surplus and helping food banks provide fresh, nutritious food to communities nationwide. People facing hunger tell Feeding America they need access to fresh, nutritious food to thrive, so these contributions remain deeply meaningful.
In Feeding America’s Elevating Invoices: Insights Report, neighbors ranked access to healthy and affordable food as the most important issue to address, second only to better job opportunities. Food insecurity in the U.S. continues to affect nearly 48 million people, including more than 14 million (one in five) children, reminding us that access to fresh food is not just an industry issue, but a shared community responsibility.
Beyond the challenge of moving food across the country through complex supply chains, we are responding to what neighbors say they need to thrive by focusing on increasing access to fresh, healthy food that improve health and wellbeing. Hunger relief partnership models have moved beyond volume-based donations toward deeper collaboration and thoughtful community investment centered on the lived experiences of neighbors.
Cox Farms is a Feeding America national food and fund donor that exemplifies how industry leadership can strengthen both supply chains and communities at the same time, offering a compelling example of how produce companies can rethink their role in ending hunger.
Cox Farms supports the food bank network through strategic giving, integrated media and employee engagement, and active participation in national awareness efforts like Hunger Action Month. Cox Enterprises created Cox Farms as its indoor farming division by strategically integrating industry leading brands BrightFarms and Mucci Farms. Combined, Cox Farms operates more than 700 acres of greenhouse production across North America, delivering fresh, locally grown produce year-round to retail, food service and community partners.
From Donations to Supply Chain Collaboration: Food Banks as a Consistent Outlet
Traditionally, helping neighbors facing hunger mostly meant farmers donating their extra crops whenever they had a surplus. While these donations still fuel communities across the country, the connection is growing. Food banks and regional cooperatives are working side-by-side with growers to build steady, year-round relationships, creating a consistent way to get fresh food from the farm to tables in a way that works for everyone.
Cox Farms’ controlled-environment agriculture model delivers year-round, predictable production that turns excess food into access for people facing hunger.
This philosophy is both an operational priority and a reflection of responsible stewardship. Consistent harvest cycles require reliable pathways to ensure that fresh produce can safely make it onto tables of community members nationwide.
Feeding America’s nationwide network offers a coordinated, mission-driven channel that helps keep Cox Farms’ fresh lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and other greenhouse-grown products moving efficiently into communities through strong logistics and cold chain infrastructure. Feeding America ensures that Cox Farms’ high-quality produce maintains its freshness while expanding access to nutritious food. In this model, food banks have moved beyond being simply a recipient, they are trusted partners building a more circular food system where every harvest reaches its highest potential and neighbors have increased access to the nutritious food they say they need to thrive.
Strengthening Rural Communities by Catalyzing Strategic, Place-Based Giving
Greenhouse operations are often located close to cities but are rooted in rural communities that often lack consistent access to fresh, nutritious produce. When Cox Farms builds its giving into where its greenhouses are, they grow food while supporting the local workforce and their communities. They realize that a strong local economy and access to healthy food go hand in hand. By teaming up with Feeding America, they plug their innovative farming directly into a nationwide network of food banks.
Leveraging Media to Elevate the Neighbor Experience
Feeding America’s partnership with Cox Farms is strengthened through their thoughtful use of media and storytelling, amplified by the donated media support of Feeding America’s Public Service Announcements throughout Cox Communications’ platforms. Beyond product donations, the company embraces opportunities to amplify the voices and experiences of neighbors and communities supported by Feeding America’s network.
By joining in on Hunger Action Month and shining a light on Feeding America’s mission, Cox Farms elevates the voices of people facing hunger while highlighting dignity and community resilience. Awareness efforts not only educate audiences but also encourage volunteerism, inspire collaboration and reinforce the critical role fresh produce plays in improving health outcomes.
A Blueprint for the Future of Produce Industry Leadership
Cox Farms and Feeding America’s partnership demonstrates how companies can embrace a broader vision of shared responsibility, while pairing reliable fresh food donations with strategic investment, employee engagement and long-term collaboration. In the true spirit of what it means to be a Feeding America national food and fund donor, Cox Farms is not simply contributing food; it is reshaping how the industry understands responsibility and the collective work of ensuring fresh, healthy produce reaches every table.
For more information on becoming a Feeding America food and fund donor, visit feedingamerica.org or email [email protected].
