World Food Day: Turning Solidarity into Action, around the World

On World Food Day, we take a closer look at how the CMA CGM Foundation supports these organizations and local initiatives, working alongside them to improve access to food and nutrition.

Our method:

• We identify needs on the ground.
• We work hand in hand with trusted partners.
• We put our logistics expertise into delivering practical solutions.

From emergency humanitarian aid to local food distributions, these partnerships allow reaching more people and responding more effectively to local needs.

Discover some of the initiatives supported by the CMA CGM Foundation around the world. 

• 80,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid transported free of charge

Transported to 116 countries through our Containers of Hope program.

• 500,000 meals distributed in the United States

In partnership with The Salvation Army.

• 6,000 hot meals served every day in Lebanon

Through the partnership with Mariam’s Kitchen.

• 10 million meals distributed from the Solidarity Warehouse

In one year in the South of France (Bouche-du-Rhône).  

• 15 PharmaBox deployed  

In Africa, each providing nutritional support for up to 50,000 children per year. 

United States: helping food-aid organizations reach more people

Across the United States, The Salvation Army provides food assistance to families facing difficult circumstances.

Through its partnership with The Salvation Army, the CMA CGM Foundation supports this effort for families in need across the United States. The Foundation leverages CEVA Logistics expertise to ensure ground transportation free of charge, facilitating food distribution.  

These contributions strengthen the logistics behind food-aid programs serving communities across the country.

Lebanon: Providing meals to communities in need

Since 2023, the CMA CGM Foundation has supported Mariam’s Kitchen, which prepares and distributes meals to people in need across the country.

In 2026, this support was renewed and expanded, including additional assistance for the kitchen and a food truck to extend the program’s reach.

Today, 6,000 hot meals are distributed every day. This work relies on the continued commitment of Mariam’s Kitchen and its teams to respond to local needs. 

Egypt: Helping families access essential food supplies

In partnership with the Egyptian Food Bank, the CMA CGM Foundation supports food assistance for families facing food insecurity in Cairo and Alexandria.

In 2026, more than 10,200 food parcels will be distributed. This follows the distribution of nearly 7,000 food parcels in 2025, reaching more than 27,000 beneficiaries. 

Getting food and essential supplies to the people who need them is not only a question of availability. Transport, storage and distribution are also critical, particularly in emergencies or where local organizations face logistical challenges.

The CMA CGM Foundation leverages the CMA CGM Group’s logistical expertise and assets to address these needs.

Containers of Hope: Facilitating the transport of humanitarian aid

When humanitarian crises strike, transporting essential supplies quickly and reliably can be a major challenge.

Through the Containers of Hope program, the CMA CGM Foundation facilitates the free maritime transport of humanitarian aid. 

To date, 180,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies have been transported to 116 countries, including food products and solutions to prevent and treat malnutrition.

This program helps humanitarian organizations move essential supplies closer to affected communities and support their response to urgent needs.

PharmaBox: Improving healthcare by supporting access to nutritional products

Access to nutritional products and healthcare is essential to prevent and treat malnutrition.

The CMA CGM Foundation developed PharmaBox: a shipping container transformed into a mobile pharmacy to store and secure medicines and treatments for malnutrition in humanitarian crisis zones.  

Each PharmaBox has the capacity to provide nutritional support for up to 50,000 children per year.

In Africa, 10 PharmaBox have been deployed or are being deployed in partnership with Action Against Hunger. And in Lebanon, another PharmaBox has been deployed with Caritas.

Learn more about Pharmabox

The Solidarity Warehouse: Helping food-aid organizations increase their operations

Food aid organizations are facing increased demand and a lack of resources, especially for storing, transporting, and distributing food.  

In Marseille, the CMA CGM Foundation established the Solidarity Warehouse, a shared logistics platform bringing together five major French food aid associations: the French Red Cross, Les Restos du Cœur, Secours Populaire, Secours Catholique, and ANDES.

With CEVA Logistics' expertise, the 5,000-square-meter facility provides infrastructure and logistics support to improve food distribution.

Within a year, the number of meals distributed to people in need across the Bouches-du-Rhône region doubled from 5 million to 10 million.

This development illustrates how improved storage, handling, and distribution can help food aid organizations strengthen their operations and expand their reach.  

Learn more about the Solidarity Warehouse

Social Minimarkets: Supporting students facing food insecurity

Today, one in five students experiences food insecurity, and 46% report skipping meals for financial reasons. The CMA CGM Foundation and its partners share a common belief: access to quality food should never be a barrier to students’ success.

In response to this challenge, the CMA CGM Foundation supports Social Minimarkets within French universities, working with local partners to make essential food and everyday products available to students experiencing financial hardship at affordable prices.

Discover our Social Minimarkets

A new initiative with Nutriset: Improving access to nutritious food for students

Access to food also means access to products that meet nutritional needs.

The CMA CGM Foundation partners with Nutriset, a French family-owned company specializing in innovative nutritional solutions.

On World Food Day, the Foundation and Nutriset are launching a new initiative to support students facing food insecurity.

Together, they are introducing a peanut butter enriched with protein, vitamins and minerals, developed by Nutriset with and for students. The aim is to make a nutritious, convenient and high-quality product accessible to students who need it. 

In Marseille, the Foundation brought 4,000 jars of peanut butter to be distributed for free through the Social Minimarket on the Saint-Charles campus, which is operated by the student association La FAMI.

The Carrefour Foundation is supporting the initiative by purchasing 4,000 additional  jars in Paris.

An additional batch is planned for the five food aid organizations supported by the Solidarity Warehouse. 

Improving access to food requires a collective effort. Local associations, humanitarian organizations, public and private partners all have a role to play in responding to the needs of the communities they serve.

Through its partnerships, the CMA CGM Foundation seeks to support this work by combining local expertise with the logistics capabilities of the CMA CGM Group.

On World Food Day, these initiatives are an opportunity to recognize the organizations and teams working every day to make food more accessible, and to reaffirm the importance of working together to meet this shared challenge.

CMA CGM Foundation: Turning commitment into action.