Monumental Public-Private Initiative Forms to Permanently Close America’s Protein Gap
America’s Farmers, Protein Industry, Hunger Advocates Launch $40 Million Initiative to Deliver 3 Billion Protein-Rich Meals Annually
CDC Foundation and HATCH Launch Crowdfunding campaign, allows all Americans to help Close the Gap
NEW YORK, NY, May 27, 2026
On the eve of World Hunger Day, a broad-based coalition of farmers, protein producers, hunger advocates and others announce the Coalition to Close the Protein Gap, a $40 million public-private initiative to permanently close America’s 800-million-pound annual charitable protein gap and deliver up to 3 billion protein-rich meals to American families every year.
“Millions of American families are going without the protein they need, and our farmers are already raising it. The protein gap shouldn’t exist,” said Tony Robbins, hunger advocate and leader of the 100 Billion Meals Challenge. “The Coalition to Close the Protein Gap is building a permanent solution. I am proud to stand with every farmer, company, and leader putting real commitment behind this.”
Robbins’ involvement with the Coalition builds on his history of fighting food insecurity—providing more than a billion meals across the United States in the last 12 years. Working alongside HATCH and coalition partners, Robbins is elevating awareness of America’s protein insecurity crisis and mobilizing public engagement around the Coalition’s mission to expand access to high-quality protein.
Today, protein is the most requested food in the charitable food system, but only 14% of food distributed, leaving many without access to this essential nutrient. The biggest barrier to closing the gap is improving accessibility and logistics to support distribution. The Coalition will provide $40 million in funding to expand cold storage and infrastructure. In addition, America’s farmers and protein producers are stepping up to supply protein into the food relief system and bridge the 800-million-lb gap.
Closing the protein gap is not something any one of us can do alone; everyone plays a critical role in this effort. The CDC Foundation, in partnership with HATCH, is launching The Missing Piece, a nationwide crowdfunding campaign with a simple ask: Be the Missing Piece in closing the protein gap. Donations will help build the infrastructure needed to move more high-quality protein through HATCH’s proven nationwide distribution network, supporting the goal of delivering up to 3 billion protein-rich meals annually to communities across the country. Readers can visit ClosetheProteinGap.org to donate.
Infrastructure and logistics will be implemented by HATCH, the nation’s largest nonprofit addressing protein insecurity. Operating for over a decade, HATCH sources protein directly from U.S. farmers without reliance on ongoing donations, manages cold-chain logistics, and delivers to food banks using a self-sustaining model. The organization operates without reliance on ongoing donations, delivering over 102 million meals across 120 food banks nationwide in 2025.
“A decade of operations taught us one thing: supply alone doesn’t close the gap, and infrastructure alone doesn’t close the gap. They must move together. The supply exists, and HATCH consistently and reliably gets it where it needs to go. The Coalition will align supply and infrastructure at a scale that finally makes closing the gap possible,” said Daniel Leckie, CEO of HATCH.
Improving access to wholesome, nutritious protein to ensure Americans can Eat Real Food has meaningful implications for public health, healthcare costs, and economic stability.
“This is a monumental moment to create lasting change that will impact Americans for generations. It’s the most meaningful alignment between government, agriculture, and the hunger community I have seen in my career,” said Jeff Simmons, CEO of Elanco Animal Health and HATCH Board Chairman. “The protein industry has the supply, the scale, and the will. What it has needed is the right infrastructure to connect that supply to the families who need it. I’m incredibly grateful to HHS and the USDA, as well as America’s farmers and the U.S. protein industry for joining the Coalition to Close the Protein Gap. Their partnership, paired with HATCH’s proven delivery model, will get more high-quality protein into communities across the country and permanently close the protein gap – without reliance on ongoing donations.”
America’s leading protein checkoff organizations and other national producer groups stand united behind the Coalition. The Coalition is designed as a long-term demand channel that turns American supply into nutrition outcomes for American families. The Coalition list continues to grow; current members include Cargill, Case Farms, Elanco, Hilmar Cheese, Koch Foods, Mountaire Farms, MPS Egg Farms, Perdue Farms, Rose Acre Farms, Simmons Foods, and Tyson Foods, with the support of American Egg Board, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Milk Producers Federation, National Pork Producers Council, National Pork Board, National Turkey Federation, and Wayne-Sanderson Farms.
ABOUT THE COALITION TO CLOSE THE PROTEIN GAP
Founding Coalition partners include HHS, USDA, the CDC Foundation, the nation’s leading beef, pork, poultry, egg, dairy, and turkey checkoff and producer organizations, and hunger advocates. Together, the Coalition’s partners are committing the supply, the infrastructure, and the capital to deliver 3 billion protein-rich meals a year – and finally close America’s protein gap for good.
ABOUT HATCH
Founded in 2015, HATCH is on a mission to make lasting access to complete nutrition a reality for every community. Through partnerships with hunger relief organizations nationwide, HATCH helps deliver fresh, high-quality protein to families who need it most – creating stability, dignity, and nourishment where it’s often hardest to find. Guided by its “1, 2, 3 Vision,” HATCH is building a future where nutritious food is not a privilege, but a shared foundation for stronger, healthier generations to come. Follow HATCH on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
About Tony Robbins:
Media Contact for Tony Robbins:
Jennifer Connelly
jconnelly@jconnelly.com
(646) 922-7755
Tony Robbins is an eight-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, peak performance coach, and life and business strategist. A recognized authority on the psychology of leadership, negotiations, and organizational turnaround, he has served as an advisor to leaders around the world for more than 40 years. He is also a philanthropist whose influence extends globally, positively impacting over 50 million individuals across 100 countries through his audio programs, educational videos, and live seminars.
HATCH Launches New Website to Amplify 2025 Impact and Support Organizational Growth as Protein Gaps Persist Nationwide
Carmel, IN Feb. 24, 2026
As food insecurity and protein gaps continue to impact communities across the United States, HATCH, the nation’s largest nonprofit supporting protein security, today announced the launch of its newly redesigned website, a milestone that reflects the organization’s expanding impact and sharpened focus as it accelerates its mission in 2026.
The launch comes at a pivotal moment for nutrition security. Updated dietary guidance and evolving nutrition frameworks increasingly emphasize the role of protein in supporting health, development and long-term resilience. Yet for millions of families, access to consistent, high-quality protein remains out of reach, underscoring the growing disconnect between nutrition recommendations and real-world food access in the U.S.
At the same time, gaps in available data and reporting make it harder for advocates and communities to pinpoint where hunger persists and which solutions are working. HATCH, an Indiana-based protein-security nonprofit, is stepping into that gap by continuing to track impact, share insights, and make progress visible nationwide.
“What we’ve built at HATCH isn’t a short-term fix; it’s a sustainable solution designed to strengthen food systems over time,” said Danny Leckie, CEO of HATCH. “As nutrition guidance continues to highlight the importance of protein, families still face real barriers to accessing it. Our responsibility is to keep protein consistently and affordably in food banks, so it gets to the families that need it most. In 2026, we’re focused on scaling what works and ensuring protein access becomes a reliable part of nutrition security nationwide.”
Designed as both an educational resource and a hub for action, the new HATCH for Hunger website highlights the organization’s work to improve protein access, support food banks and community partners, and document measurable outcomes across the hunger relief landscape. In 2025 alone, HATCH delivered more than 102 million protein-rich meals across 43 states, partnering with 121+ food banks to ensure reliable access to nutrient-dense protein where it’s needed most — all at a cost of just $0.01 per meal.
The new website makes HATCH’s data, insights and outcomes more accessible, helping partners, donors and communities better understand how protein security supports broader nutrition goals and where continued investment can derive the greatest impact.
From Farm to Family: How Food Producers Power the HATCH Network
America’s food producers are at the heart of HATCH for Hunger’s mission. Every week, farms and processors across the country partner with HATCH to transform surplus protein into meals for families who need it most.
By joining the HATCH Network, producers reduce waste, save costs, and make a tangible difference in the fight against hunger. What once sat in storage now becomes a life-changing resource, feeding families, supporting food banks, and strengthening communities from the ground up.
Partnerships like these prove that sustainability and compassion can work hand in hand.
The Power of One Cent: Making Every Meal Count
At HATCH for Hunger, every penny truly matters. Through an innovative supply chain and national partnerships, HATCH delivers protein at a cost of just one cent per meal, proof that efficiency and impact can coexist.
This model stretches resources further than traditional donation systems, ensuring that more protein reaches more families in less time. It’s not just a number; it’s a philosophy, that doing good can also mean doing it smarter.
Every cent adds up to millions of meals, thousands of families served, and a stronger, more sustainable food system.
Closing the Protein Gap: Why Access to Nutrition Starts with Protein
When people think about hunger, they often imagine a lack of food, but the real crisis is a lack of nutrition. Protein is the most expensive and most under-supplied nutrient in food assistance programs across the U.S.
HATCH for Hunger partners with producers, food banks, and hunger relief organizations to ensure families don’t just get fed — they get nourished. By redirecting surplus protein through our $0.01-per-meal model, we make it possible for millions of families to access the essential nutrition they need to live healthier, more secure lives.
Learn more about how Hatch’s shared value model turns collaboration into measurable change.
Who Will Shore Up the Food System?
The work has already begun. The next great challenge in philanthropy isn’t just feeding people—it’s building the system that determines who has access to nutrition in the first place.
America produces more than enough food to feed everyone, yet gaps in infrastructure and distribution leave millions underserved. But this is a solvable challenge—one that innovators are already tackling head-on. The solution isn’t more short-term donations. It’s structural change, ensuring that food banks have the same buying power, stability, and efficiency as major food distributors.
That’s exactly what HATCH is building.
HATCH operates with the spirit of a startup, taking a fresh look at an old problem and having the courage to challenge the status quo. Instead of accepting food insecurity as an inevitable crisis, HATCH is testing and scaling new solutions, proving that the system can work better for both food producers and food banks.
As a shared-value model, HATCH brings animal protein producers together with food banks, ensuring a low-cost, stable source of protein for those in need, while simultaneously creating a new market for producers’ less-consumed products. This isn’t charity—it’s a business-backed solution to a systemic failure.
Imagine if the same principles were applied across the entire food system:
- Bulk purchasing power securing high-quality proteins, fresh produce, and essential staples at the lowest cost.
- Regional food hubs stabilizing supply chains and reducing reliance on inefficient, reactive food aid.
- Technology-driven distribution models ensuring food moves where it’s needed before it’s wasted.
Hatch’s nimble, problem-solving approach allows us to move fast, test what works, and refine as they go, traits often found in the best early-stage companies, not traditional nonprofits. By embracing a builder’s mindset, we’re proving that food security isn’t just about giving, it’s about creating a system that works better for everyone.
The food system is being rebuilt, not with charity, but with bold ideas, business acumen, and the courage to challenge outdated models. If you’re ready to be part of something bigger, whether as a partner, investor, or innovator, we’re looking for families, foundations, corporations, or individuals to join in the cause.