Freedom from Hunger
Professional services
UnclaimedAn international development nonprofit that combined poverty-focused microfinance with business, health, and nutrition education.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Freedom from Hunger was an international development nonprofit focused on reducing hunger and poverty through self-help programs, particularly those designed for poor women and families. Its work evolved from emergency food relief into longer-term approaches that combined small loans, enterprise education, health information, and nutrition support. The organization operated from Davis, California, and worked internationally, with activity reported in nineteen countries. The organization originated in 1946 as Meals for Millions. Caltech biochemist Henry Borsook and California restaurateur Clifford Clinton established the nonprofit after Borsook and French cook Soulange Berzceller developed Multi-Purpose Food, a low-cost, high-protein supplement intended for hunger-relief programs. Clinton financed the early operation, which later depended on public donations. During its first decade, Meals for Millions distributed approximately 6.5 million pounds of the supplement, representing about 36 million meals, through relief agencies in 129 countries, including the United States. The original food product combined soy grits, dehydrated vegetables, and seasonings. It was later reformulated as a pre-cooked soy-based supplement fortified with vitamins and minerals. General Mills produced the product in Minneapolis until 1980. Meals for Millions also pursued technology transfer, establishing locally operated production facilities in countries including Japan, Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea. With support from the United States Agency for International Development beginning in 1973, it expanded its technical and development work. A low-cost extrusion cooker was developed in 1976 to support local production. By the 1960s and 1970s, the organization was moving beyond the distribution of food. It developed education and technology programs intended to address the underlying causes of hunger, including maternal and child nutrition. The organization’s Applied Nutrition Programs reflected this shift. In 1979, Meals for Millions merged with the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation, which had been founded in 1961. The food supplement was discontinued by Meals for Millions in 1980. The organization adopted the name Freedom From Hunger Foundation in 1988 and became Freedom From Hunger in 1991. One of its most important innovations was Credit with Education, introduced in 1988 and described as the first integrated microcredit, health, and nutrition education program of its kind. The model linked small loans and business education with practical information intended to improve household health and nutrition, especially for women. Freedom from Hunger was recognized for promoting approaches that sought a lasting reduction in hunger while emphasizing the dignity and economic agency of women and families living in poverty. In 2006, Yolo County and the State of California recognized September 28 as Freedom from Hunger Day, marking the organization’s sixtieth anniversary and its anti-hunger work. The organization was merged into the Grameen Foundation in 2016, ending its existence as an independent organization. Its historical identity is therefore associated with the transition from food-aid distribution to integrated microfinance and development education.
History
Freedom from Hunger traces its origins to Meals for Millions, founded in 1946 by Henry Borsook, a Caltech biochemist, and Clifford Clinton, a California restaurateur. Borsook and French cook Soulange Berzceller developed Multi-Purpose Food, a low-cost, high-protein supplement intended for distribution through hunger-relief agencies. Clinton supported the organization financially during its early years, after which it relied on public donations. During its first ten years, Meals for Millions distributed about 6.5 million pounds of Multi-Purpose Food, equivalent to approximately 36 million meals, through relief agencies in 129 countries. The original formulation used soy grits, dehydrated vegetables, and seasonings. In the late 1950s it was simplified into a pre-cooked, fortified soy-grits product. The revised supplement was produced by General Mills in Minneapolis until 1980. Meals for Millions gradually expanded from food distribution into technical assistance, education, and nutrition programming. By 1965 it was exploring education and technology transfer as tools for creating longer-term reductions in hunger. Locally operated production plants were established in Japan, Brazil, Mexico, and South Korea. The United States Agency for International Development began funding the organization in 1973. In 1976, the organization developed a low-cost extrusion cooker intended to facilitate production of the supplement in developing-country settings. The organization also introduced Applied Nutrition Programs focused on mothers and children. This work reflected an increasing emphasis on household health and knowledge rather than food aid alone. Meals for Millions merged with the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation in 1979. Production of Multi-Purpose Food ceased in 1980. In 1988, the combined organization adopted the name Freedom From Hunger Foundation. That year it developed Credit with Education, an integrated program that combined small loans with business, health, and nutrition education. In 1991, the name was shortened to Freedom From Hunger. The organization became known for linking microfinance to practical educational services, particularly for low-income women who used credit to support small businesses and household needs. Freedom from Hunger’s public identity also included awareness-building activities. In 2006, September 28 was recognized as Freedom from Hunger Day by Yolo County and the State of California. The observance marked the organization’s sixtieth anniversary and highlighted its stated goal of achieving a lasting end to hunger through self-help programs that respected the dignity of women and families in poverty. In 2016, Freedom from Hunger merged into the Grameen Foundation. Because of that merger, Freedom from Hunger is best understood as a historical nonprofit brand and development organization rather than an active independent institution. Its legacy lies in the combination of microcredit, enterprise education, and health and nutrition information as a single poverty-reduction intervention.
- 2016
Merger into the Grameen Foundation
[1]Freedom from Hunger is merged into the Grameen Foundation and ceases to operate as an independent organization.
- 2006
Freedom from Hunger Day recognized
[1]September 28 is recognized by Yolo County and the State of California as Freedom from Hunger Day.
- 1991
Organization adopts the name Freedom from Hunger
[1]The Freedom From Hunger Foundation shortens its name to Freedom From Hunger.
- 1988
Credit with Education is developed
[1]The organization introduces an integrated microcredit model combining loans with business, health, and nutrition education.
- 1980
Multi-Purpose Food production ends
[1]Meals for Millions stops producing its original supplemental food product.
- 1979
Merger with the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation
[1]Meals for Millions merges with the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation, strengthening the organization’s focus on development and nutrition programming.
- 1976
Low-cost extrusion cooker developed
[1]Meals for Millions develops a low-cost extrusion cooker for producing its supplemental food in local settings.
- 1973
USAID funding begins
[1]The United States Agency for International Development starts funding the organization’s work.
- 1965
Expansion into education and technology transfer
[1]The organization begins placing greater emphasis on education and locally adaptable technologies as ways to address hunger beyond direct food distribution.
- 1946
Meals for Millions is founded
[1]Henry Borsook and Clifford Clinton establish Meals for Millions to distribute the newly developed Multi-Purpose Food to hunger-relief agencies.
Products and positioning
A poverty-reduction and hunger-relief nonprofit combining financial services with practical business, health, and nutrition education, with a particular emphasis on women and family welfare.
Nutritional supplement · 1946
Multi-Purpose Food
A low-cost, high-protein supplemental food developed for hunger-relief distribution. Its initial formulation combined soy grits, dehydrated vegetables, and seasonings. It was later reformulated as a pre-cooked soy-based product fortified with vitamins and minerals. The product was distributed through relief agencies internationally and was produced by General Mills until 1980.
Microfinance and development program · 1988
Credit with Education
An integrated program developed in 1988 that linked small loans with business education and practical health and nutrition information. It was designed primarily for low-income women and sought to connect income-generating activity with improved household welfare.
Nutrition education program
Applied Nutrition Programs
Programs introduced during the organization’s transition toward longer-term development work. They emphasized maternal and child health and nutrition, complementing the organization’s earlier food-relief activities.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006Freedom from Hunger Day
United States · California · Yolo County
A public-awareness observance held on September 28 to recognize the organization’s anti-hunger work and its sixtieth anniversary. The date was proclaimed by the Yolo County Board of Supervisors and also recognized at the state level in California.
Outcome. The observance generated public recognition in the Sacramento area and received a gold public relations award.
Brand decisions
2016
Merger into the Grameen FoundationM&ABackground
Freedom from Hunger had operated as an international development nonprofit focused on microfinance, education, and nutrition.
Action taken
The organization was merged into the Grameen Foundation.
Aftermath
Freedom from Hunger ceased to exist as an independent organization, while its work and institutional legacy became part of the Grameen Foundation.
1988
Launch of Credit with EducationProduct launchBackground
Freedom from Hunger was seeking ways to address persistent poverty and hunger through self-help mechanisms rather than emergency food aid alone.
Action taken
The organization developed a program combining microcredit with business, health, and nutrition education.
Aftermath
Credit with Education became a defining example of the organization’s integrated approach to women’s economic participation and household welfare.
1980
End of Multi-Purpose Food productionStrategyBackground
After decades of food-relief distribution, the organization was increasingly developing education, nutrition, and poverty-reduction approaches.
Action taken
Meals for Millions stopped producing Multi-Purpose Food and continued its evolution toward development-oriented programming.
Aftermath
The organization’s later identity centered more strongly on education, microfinance, and integrated services than on manufacturing or distributing a food supplement.
Sources2 sources
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