Top UK food executives' charity trek across uncharted Tanzania wilderness

24 September 2013

145 kilometre trek in searing heat to raise funds for Farm Africa

Some of the biggest names in the UK food industry are to swap the comfort of their corporate boardrooms later this week for a gruelling trek through one of Africa’s harshest and most untamed landscapes.

A crack team of 13 corporate leaders are making their final preparations before flying to Tanzania for the challenge of a lifetime. Their endurance will be pushed to the limits as they take on a physically demanding 6 day expedition through some of the wildest sections of the Great Rift Valley in the Tanzanian Highlands.

UK food industry effort to play its part in tackling hunger

Dubbed the Tanzania Highland Challenge, the trek is clear evidence of the UK food industry’s determination to play its part in tackling one of the most pressing problems facing the world today: hunger. All sponsorship money raised from the trek will go to Food for Good, a campaign set up by the food and hospitality sectors to support the leading UK charity Farm Africa and its work to end hunger in eastern Africa, for good.

Food for Good has been turning heads all year, making Farm Africa the charity of choice for many of the leading companies in the food and hospitality sectors. Thanks to a variety of challenges that have already taken place this year, the extraordinary total of over £380,000 has so far been raised for Food for Good.

The Tanzania Highland Challenge trekkers are determined to add to that total. And with senior executives from some of the biggest names on the High Street, including Waitrose, Marks and Spencer and Aldi the team is not lacking in fundraising firepower.

Looking forward to the challenge, team leader, Farm Africa Chairman and former NFU Director-General Richard Macdonald said:

“Trekking 145 kilometres in searing heat for six days at altitude

across some of the planet’s most untamed landscapes will be

unbelievably tough. But the scale of the challenge underlines

our determination to support Food for Good which is promoting

global food sustainability. And as food industry leaders we

understand just how important that is for us all.”

The trek:

They will set out on September 30 in sweltering temperatures to trek for six days along a route that until now has only been walked by local Masai tribesmen and wildlife. They will climb steep scarp slopes and extinct volcanoes and trek through untamed landscapes alongside wildlife in a region of the Great Rift Valley that is more volcanic than any other in Africa. After trekking for up to eight hours a day under a scorching African sun, the team will sleep each night on the path under canvas.

The team:

Tony Baines, Managing Director Buying, Aldi

Richard Brasher, Chief Executive Officer, Pick ‘n’ Pay

Andrew Cracknell, Commercial Director, Anglo Beef Processors

Nigel Dunlop, Chief Executive Officer, Moy Park

Steve Ellwood, Non-Executive Director, AH Worth, EFFP

Robert Lasseter, Chairman, NFU South West Regional Board

Richard Macdonald, Non-Executive Director, Moy Park, Dairy Crest

Julian Marks, Managing Director, Barfoots

Steve McLean, Head of Agriculture & Fisheries, Marks and Spencer

Keith Packer, Chief Executive Officer, Typhoo Tea

Charles Reed, Group Managing Director, William Reed Business Media

Andrew Thompson, Commercial Director, Booker

Mark Williamson, Commercial Director, Waitrose

Ends

You will be able to follow all the action from the trek via ‘Tales from the Trail’, the team’s dedicated blog: http://www.farmafrica.org/tanzania-highland-challenge/tales-from-the-trail

Images from the trek will be available on request.

For more information, and to arrange interviews with members of the trekking team, please contact the Farm Africa Press Office:

Matt Whitticase, 020 7067 1237 / mattheww@farmafrica.org

Laura Oakley,    020 7067 1252 /laurao@farmafrica.org

Notes to Editor:

About Farm Africa

Farm Africa supports farmers living at subsistence level, constantly at risk of crop failure, to build food and income security so that they can grow a better and reliable future for their families.

By focusing on ‘climate smart’ agricultural and forestry techniques, building market links and adding value to production, Farm Africa unleashes the entrepreneurial abilities of the farmers and rural communities they work with.

This is the time to turn challenge into opportunity for African farmers. Farm Africa believes passionately that smallholders can and will play a key role in achieving rural prosperity in Africa.

 Food for Good

The Chefs’ Kilimanjaro Challenge is part of Food for Good, a Farm Africa initiative that is bringing together the food and hospitality industry to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing the world today: hunger. You can find out more about Food for Good here: www.farmafrica.org/foodforgood

 In addition, Farm Africa is the chosen charity for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2013, sponsored by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.