The LDS welfare system is vertically integrated: 32 Church-owned farms, ranches, orchards, and processing facilities produce food that flows through 124 bishops' storehouses operating in six countries. The system produced over 100 million pounds of food in 2021.
The infrastructure has operated since 1936, built on the theological principle that the Church should be able to feed its own members — and others — without depending on external supply chains. 44 million pounds of food were donated through community initiatives in the same year, distributed externally to food banks beyond internal member welfare use.
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