Shared Solutions^SM Agricultural Contributions Program

Altria Group, Inc. kicks off 2005 partnering project

Altria Group, Inc.’s Shared Solutions^SM Agricultural Contributions Program is accepting grant applications from U.S. nonprofit agricultural groups for initiatives that bring innovative solutions or thinking to issues affecting the farm-to-consumer supply community.

Shared Solutions^SM is the agricultural initiative of the Altria family of companies that partners with farmers and ranchers to address common issues. The request for 2005 grant proposals marks the program’s sixth year.

“Whether we work to harvest a crop or put the finished product on retail shelves, everyone in the farm-to-consumer supply community depends on everyone else,” says Katherine Trent, director of agricultural relations, Altria Corporate Services, Inc. “We’re interdependent. We share common goals, common issues and common challenges. Our Shared Solutions^SM initiative is about partnering with agriculture to find creative means to address complex issues.”

To be considered, among other things, grant applications must describe a project that serves the agricultural supply chain and develops and/or applies best practices in approaching an identified need. The goal is to find shared solutions that promote responsible agricultural practices by protecting the environment and economic viability of the industry.

Grant proposals must focus on one of four categories:

• Environmental Sustainability – Development and technology transfer of on-farm best management practices that reduce agriculture’s environmental impact while creating on-farm value.
• Economic Sustainability – Development of risk management tools that can aid production agriculture’s economic stability.
• Product Sustainability and Security – Development of innovative best practices that increase the safety, security and quality of agricultural commodities.
• Leadership Sustainability - Development of coursework and educational programs for agricultural leaders that encourage identification and analysis of the changing societal expectations of agriculture and helps align the industry with those expectations.

An advisory board of agricultural stakeholders will evaluate eligible grant applications. Stakeholders include leaders of the agricultural supply community, regulatory organizations, non-governmental organizations, academia and others.

Completed 2005 Shared Solutions^SM grant applications must be received by 6 p.m. EST, Monday, August 30, 2004. Grantees will be announced by December 15, 2004.

Altria Group’s Shared Solutions^SM grants will be awarded in varying amounts – up to $25,000 – to qualifying applicants who are selected. Proposals for grants of more than $25,000 also will be considered if a compelling case can be made for the program’s need and reach, or if two or more organizations are working collaboratively on the project. All applicants must be U.S. nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS tax code.

To obtain a grant application and eligibility requirements, visit the contributions section of the Shared Solutions^SM Web site at www.altria.com/sharedsolutions.

Altria Group, Inc. Profile

Since 1999, Altria Group, through its Shared Solutions^SM initiative, has awarded more than $1 million in grants to U.S.-based non-profit organizations throughout the agricultural chain. In 2004, the advisory board selected 12 organizations to receive grants.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) is the parent company of Kraft Foods, Philip Morris International and Philip Morris USA.  For nearly 50 years, Altria Group has provided sustained and wide-ranging support for organizations that feed the hungry, provide services to victims and survivors of domestic violence, promote the arts, and assist communities affected by natural disasters, as well as numerous programs that address important community needs. As part of this commitment to responsibility, Altria Group has awarded over $1 billion in the last decade alone.  Additional information about giving and community-focused initiatives of Altria Group is available at www.altria.com/media_programs.

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Contact Information

Altria Client Services Media Relations Tel: 804-484-8897