WCRF around the world

Since its foundation in 1982, the WCRF global network has been dedicated to the prevention of cancer. All the members of the global network have the same mission: to prevent cancer worldwide.

Cancer is a global disease. Some types of cancer are more common in the higher income countries of Europe, North America and elsewhere. Other types are more common in Africa and Asia and other lower income parts of the world.

These are among the many compelling reasons why it is necessary to study cancer from a global perspective in order to understand how best to prevent cancer in any one country.

The WCRF global network consists of WCRF International and its member organisations. These are national charities based in the USA, the UK, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and France.

Each member organisation is supported by donations from the public and is independent of government. Each is a separate legal entity, responsible to its own board, accountable to the donors who support it. All member organisations determine their own programmes, which are designed to be most effective in national and local environments. Through their national education and research programmes, a primary goal is to help promote changes that will decrease rates of cancer incidence. WCRF International provides each member with financial, operational and scientific services and support.

From its beginnings in the early 1980s, the WCRF global network has consistently been a pioneer and a leader of research and education on food, nutrition, physical activity and the prevention of cancer. The network has a special commitment to the creation of the most reliable science-based recommendations and their translation into messages that form the basis for action by professionals, communities, families and individuals.