On Monday, Senator Reverend Warnock visited MANA Nutrition’s Pooler facility to meet with the organization’s leadership and discuss the importance of protecting federal investments fueling Georgia jobs, humanitarian aid
MANA Nutrition was notified earlier this year that its contracts and funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were canceled by the federal government; those contracts were officially restored on March 5, but they were still waiting on $18.6M in federal funds they are owed from completed and delivered contracts
The Senator spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to get this funding restored, and their reimbursements were eventually received
MANA employs over 100 Georgians and fuels Georgia’s peanut industry, purchasing 2 million pounds of peanuts a month to manufacture lifesaving aid for hungry children
Senator Warnock: “As a Georgian and Savannahian, I’m proud of the work that MANA does on behalf of the hungry children around the world. As they are nourishing children around the world, they are nourishing the Georgia economy with jobs all across Georgia, and this work must continue”
Senator Warnock and MANA CEO Mark Moore hold a box of RUTF product made with Georgia peanuts
Photo credit: Justin Taylor of The Current
Pooler, GA – U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) emphasized his commitment to supporting South Georgia-based MANA Nutrition’s work in nourishing hungry children around the globe and the state’s economy during a recent visit to their Pooler facility. MANA Nutrition is a leader in combating acute malnutrition in children. They produce Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a fortified peanut paste that can save the lives of malnourished children. RUTF is easy to use, requiring no cooking, water, or refrigeration, and it can dramatically improve a child’s health in a matter of weeks. MANA employs 125 Georgians between their Fitzgerald and Pooler operations. MANA purchases approximately 2 million pounds of peanuts per month, helping fuel Georgia’s agriculture economy and sustain peanut farmers. A 2024 report shows MANA has invested $66.2 million in Georgia communities.
“As a Georgian and as a Savannahian, I’m proud of the work that MANA does on behalf of hungry children all over the world. And even as they are nourishing hungry children all over the world, they are nourishing the Georgia economy. Some 2 million pounds of peanuts are bought by MANA from farmers every month, and it was important for me to be here today to continue to advocate for them. They are creating and supporting jobs all across our state with the work they’re doing in Fitzgerald, Georgia, and here in Savannah. And this work must continue, again, both to nourish hungry children and to nourish the Georgia economy. This operation shows once again that very often the right thing to do is also a smart thing. This makes sense for Georgia. This makes sense for the American economy,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.
MANA Nutrition was notified earlier this year that its contracts and funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were canceled by the federal government. Those contracts were officially restored on March 5, but they were still waiting on $18.6M in federal funds they are owed from completed and delivered contracts. The Senator and his team worked aggressively on a staff level to get this funding restored, and the Senator even spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to get this funding restored, and their reimbursements were eventually received.
“It shows a complete lack of moral imagination when this administration would literally have, in some cases, food sitting on docks that was deteriorating, and it costs money to incinerate. To be incinerating food that’s already sitting on docks rather than feeding hungry people is both immoral and it’s fiscally irresponsible. So the good news is that MANA has been doing the Lord’s work. I have to say, as a preacher, I love that word, MANA. It comes from our Judeo-Christian tradition. And you know, I’ve been thinking about hungry children in Sudan, Ethiopia, in Kenya, faraway places, and this is literally lifesaving food,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.
Above: Senator Warnock tours MANA’s Pooler facility
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