Food

The Jollibee Group, a multinational restaurant chain dedicated to sustainable business practices, understands the need of collaborating with suppliers like Lamb Weston and McCain Foods, who also share the company’s dedication to ethical sourcing.

Core to Responsible Sourcing

McCain Foods is a Canadian corporation that specializes in potato goods, particularly fries. It has been a dependable supplier to the Jollibee Group for 20 years. The Jollibee Group collaborates closely with 3,500 farmers to rethink more sustainable potato cultivation practices.

Anchored in its regenerative agricultural practice, Farms of the Future supports farmers in adopting techniques that conserve water, minimize chemical fertilizer usage, and enhance soil health. These efforts contribute to its inclusive goal of empowering its farmers to face threats in the global food system, such as climate change, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and food waste.

McCain Foods aims to further its commitment to responsible sourcing by operating three Farms of the Future in different growing regions on top of its locations in Canada and South Africa by 2025. This project is one of several initiatives that helped place McCain Foods at the 55th rank in the 2023 Food and Agriculture Benchmark. The Food and Agriculture Benchmark is part of the World Benchmarking Alliance, which provides an essential tool for measuring and comparing corporate performance with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It measures and ranks 350 keystone companies – from farm to fork – on key issues underpinning the food systems transformation agenda.

For its part, Lamb Weston, a global producer, and processor of frozen potato products, and one of the Jollibee Group’s longtime potato suppliers, has comprehensive sustainability goals focused on food, people, and the planet.

One of its banner initiatives is its Sustainable Agriculture program which continuously improves its processes, adopts the latest equipment and technology, and shares the best practices with its growers. Before introducing them to its growers, Lamb Weston recently piloted its technologies and practices in 100 Circles Farm–its 20,000-acre farm in Paterson, Washington, United States. With this, the company can better understand the opportunities and challenges that the farmers encounter. Lamb Weston has also invested in soil research and technologies, believing that healthy soil is the key to climate resiliency and long-term productivity.

Sustainability across the entire business

The Jollibee Group will strengthen its relationships with international suppliers who share its commitment to sustainability as it pursues its global sustainability strategy, Joy for Tomorrow, in tandem with its continued worldwide expansion.

In order to incorporate its sustainable business practices into a more unified structure that integrates the entire organization and directs its interactions with partners and stakeholders, the Jollibee Group launched Joy for Tomorrow.

At the 9th Global Good Governance Awards, often known as the 3G Awards, which were hosted in Taguig City, the Jollibee Group was recently presented with the “3G Championship Award for Community Development and Philanthropy 2024.”

Jollibee Group received the award from Cambridge International Finance Advisory (Cambridge IFA), a worldwide financial services intelligence organization, for leading initiatives that have improved the community through the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF), the company’s social development arm. The Jollibee Group’s efforts to improve its business practices in order to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals were also acknowledged by the award.

“We are honored to receive such a prestigious award from Cambridge IFA. This recognizes the hard work that the Jollibee Group Foundation has done through decades – inculcating our knowledge on food to uplift the livelihood of farmers, feeding schoolchildren so they can graduate, and providing thousands of meals in disaster-stricken areas. We share this recognition with our partners in the government, NGOs, and our employee volunteers for getting together to help achieve a wider impact on more communities,” said Ernesto Tanmantiong, President and Chief Executive Officer of Jollibee Group. “We will remain committed to improving our business practices and empowering our employees as we continue to serve great-tasting food and bring the joy of eating to everyone.”

JGF promotes improved access to food by implementing programs on agro-entrepreneurship through its Farmer Entrepreneurship Program and on education through the Busog Lusog Talino Feeding Program and the Access, Curriculum, and Employability (ACE) Scholarship Program.  The Foundation also spearheads disaster response efforts through the FoodAID program while working with partner organizations and national government agencies in the Philippines and other countries.

Jollibee Group and JGF also recently partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry for a learning session wherein their leaders imparted business development and management knowledge to micro, small, and medium enterprises. 

Additionally, JGF and Jollibee Group strengthened their environmental stewardship efforts by incorporating reforestation and mangrove protection into their CSR initiatives. To improve their collaboration on these projects, they recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Every year, the 3G Awards program honors social responsibility, openness, and good governance. Numerous organizations and individuals from the corporate world, philanthropic and social sectors, and government and politics from several nations attended. The 3G Awards, which have been staged in various locations across the world for the past nine years, made their debut in Manila this year.

For a larger and greater celebration of this year’s Agawan Festival, Universal Robina Corporation, through its Flour Division, has teamed with the Sariaya, Quezon local government unit and the Sariaya Tourism Culture and the Arts Office (STCAO).

Every year on May 15, Sariaya, Quezon hosts the Agawan Festival, a harvest celebration honoring Saint Isidore the Laborer, the patron saint of agriculture and bountiful harvests. One of the four harvest festivals observed in the province of Quezon, the event is dubbed the “Happy Pandemonium.”

During the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Sariaya Mayor Marcelo Gayeta and his wife, Marivic Gayeta, who is currently heading the organizing committee of this year’s Agawan Festival, welcomed the sponsorship of URC Flour Division.

“Masayang masaya ang bayan ng Sariaya dahil kasama namin ngayong taon ang Universal Robina Corporation Flour Division. Talagang masasabi naming sila ay kaagapay ng ating bayan sa pagpapaunlad dahil sa kanilang bagong bukas na planta na tiyak magbibigay ng trabaho sa ating mga kababayan dito sa Sariaya” Mayor Gayeta shared.

The URC Flour Division is one of the top flour millers in the Philippines. With plants located in Manila, Sariaya, and Davao, the division has a combined milling capacity of 2,150 metric tons per day. The state-of-the-art flour mills and blending facilities allow the division to manufacture customized products that fit the specific needs of its customers.

URC’s sponsorship of the Agawan Festival 2024 is the company’s way of appreciating Sariaya’s support when the town welcomed the opening and operation of their flour mills and blending facilities located in Barangay Talaan, Aplaya Road in Sariaya, Quezon.

The company will sponsor some of the activities including: the “Pinagong” eating activity targeting 3,000 people; the “Agawan sa Bagakay” with special prizes to be won by participants; and the Street Dance contest where dancers will be using “upcycled” sacks as their costume. URC will be donating used flour sacks for the dancers to use in their presentation.

“We creatively developed the “Pinagong” eating activity. Since URC is a producer of quality and world-class flour, we will donate our products to our partner bakeries for them to produce 3,000 pieces of the town’s famous and delicious “Pinagong” breads. Aside from the procession and other fun activities, this unique eating event will be one of the highlights of this year’s Agawan Festival. Exciting is an understatement for this activity!” said Naida Ebora, Sales, Marketing and Distribution Director, URC Flour.

Marivic Gayeta, wife of Mayor Gayeta and lead organizer of this year’s Agawan Festival, is also thrilled with the collaboration. “Ikinalulugod ng bayan ng Sariaya na kami ay inisponsoran ng URC sa aming nalalapit na kapistahan. Sigurado kami na ang aming mga kababayang makikilahok sa pagdiriwang ng fiesta, pati na rin ang mga turista na dadayo at makikisali ay matutuwa sa mga programang aming hinanda kasama ng URC.”  

The annual Agawan Festival features a fiesta procession where people playfully snatch goodies and other produce hanging from the houses (or “pabitin”) as the parade winds its way down the streets. Colorful buntal hats are festooned all over the façade of houses. String beans are draped on windows like curtains, and banana leaves are used to adorn fences. The most traditional elements in the decorations are the bagakay, or young bamboo branches from which junk food, native delicacies such as the kiping, fruits, candies and money, are hung for people to collect as they pass by.

In 2024, the yearly celebrations will mark their 25th year. The town’s former parish priest, Rev. Fr., is recognized for creating the term “Agawan.” Raul Enriquez was an advocate for the town’s 1999 quadricentennial celebration and the previous head of the Sariaya Tourism Council.

To obtain all the information regarding the Agawan Festival in 2024, go to the Sariaya Tourism, Culture, and Arts Office’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558511802745

The commissary has fulfilled one of the Waste Reduction focus areas of Jollibee Group’s global sustainability agenda

In keeping with its efforts to strengthen its sustainability practices, the Jollibee Group celebrates the strengthening of the implementation of its Corporate Supply Chain Sustainability Program, which spans 11 company-owned commissaries and one logistics center nationwide, marking a major milestone for one of its brands.

The comprehensive program aims to achieve significant goals and efforts related to waste reduction, water and energy efficiency, and alignment with the Jollibee Group’s Joy For Tomorrow sustainability plan.

Mang Inasal’s (MI) Marilao Commissary is pushing the trash reduction initiative farther; in 2023, it attained Zero trash to Landfill Status. The MI Marilao Commissary made use of co-processing residual waste as an alternative fuel for cement manufacture, recovering and repurposing scrap garbage, and turning organic waste into compost in order to accomplish this.

During the 2020 baseline year, MI Marilao Commissary has sustainably disposed of 53% of its total waste. With the leaders and the team’s dedication and teamwork, the site has gradually increased its sustainable disposal to 85% in 2021, 91% in 2022, and 97% at the start of 2023 before reaching 100% status by June of 2023.

Sustainability achievements

Waste Reduction is one of the focus areas of the Jollibee Group’s global sustainability agenda whose goals include reducing food loss and waste to landfill in the manufacturing process. These goals were set to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), particularly “Responsible Consumption and Production” (Goal #12).  

Jose Miñana Jr., Chief Sustainability and Public Affairs Officer at the Jollibee Group, underscored the company’s proactive approach to integrating sustainable waste management practices into operations. “We prioritize recovering, reusing, and recycling waste that contribute to the creation of a more sustainable food system, ensuring that we can continue to nourish and sustain our communities and our planet for future generations.”

The production locations of the Jollibee Group across the nation achieved a combined 42.8% reduction in waste-generated ratio last year compared to the company’s 2020 baseline thanks to its ongoing commitment to sustainable business practices. Over 51% of its garbage was disposed of sustainably by the end of 2023, a notable rise from 39.7% in 2021.

“The results achieved by Mang Inasal’s Marilao Commissary will be our benchmark for waste reduction implementation across all Jollibee Group manufacturing sites in the country, consistent with our commitment to maximize use of resources and reduce our impact on the environment,” stressed Michael Ong, vice president and head of supply chain at Jollibee Group.

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com

With specific strategies up until 2030 that aim to promote the improvement of environmental health and human wellness, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. and the entire Ajinomoto Group are continuing to march towards a better and sustainable future. The multinational corporation seeks to improve consumer value, promote a healthy lifestyle, and address important food and health issues in order to help one billion people live longer lives worldwide.

The leadership by example of Ajinomoto’s President and CEO, Mr. Taro Fujie, who visited the Philippines and hosted a media conference in Quezon City, is evidence of the company’s dedication to helping to create a healthy future for everyone. Mr. Taro gave a summary of the 2030 Strategic Roadmap and the Ajinomoto Group’s Medium-Term ASV management during the discussion.

During Mr. Taro Fujie’s speech, he reiterated Ajinomoto’s core purpose, which is to be able to contribute to the well-being of all human beings, our society and our planet with “AminoScience”. With this, Ajinomoto aims to reduce our environmental impact by 50% in turn, regenerate our environment, and help extend the life expectancy of one billion people through better health and life. True to Ajinomoto’s corporate slogan, Eat Well, Live Well, Mr. Taro Fujie shares that the company has been relentless in living up to its ways, with creating new value, championing the pioneer spirit, engaging in social contribution,  which all ultimately values people, not just their customers. All these efforts are rooted all the way back from the company’s founding, where Ajinomoto promotes management that co-creates social value and economic value through its business, which they coined as ASV or the Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value.

“2030 is closer than we all think it is, but it is my great honor to share with you, that we, in the whole of Ajinomoto Group, will remain as enthusiastic as we are now, to achieve what needs to be achieved for the betterment of our society, and all of us in this world, and that we share every milestone with you, as our companions in this journey,” says Mr. Taro Fujie, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. President and CEO.

Mr. Taro Fujie has also set the expectations that the Ajinomoto Group has for Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC), which he is confident that APC will do everything in its capabilities to achieve. APC is expected to keep contributing to resolving social issues for the well-being of the Filipinos, the society, and the planet through initiatives led by the ASV, while being able to diversify its business steadily progressing from seasonings to frozen foods, supplements, and more in the future.

“It is my pleasure, and a great honor, to meet you all today, Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation. I am indeed certain that you will continue to cultivate an environment where employees remain diverse, highly motivated, and engaged, as you are our essential and greatest intangible assets.” ends Mr. Taro Fujie.

Earlier during the day, Mr. Taro Fujie and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte engaged in an exchange where outlooks focused on sustainability and community development through co-creating a greener tomorrow, through the Saricycle Program of APC. Mr. Taro Fujie was also able to engage in a first-hand experience as he visited one of the participating sari-sari stores in Feria Road Old Balara, Quezon City.

The road to a more sustainable tomorrow is paved by innovative strategies and collaborations. Just recently, Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation partnered with different stakeholders, including the Local Government of Quezon City and Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies (BEST), for the SariCycle Program. The program is a flagship plastic collection drive of APC Group that is focused on sari-sari stores and market stalls which incentives them to collect Single Use Plastics (SUPs) or Flexible Plastics from their customers which the store owner can exchange for Environmental Points (EPs) that is good as cash for participating merchants. APC also partnered with ACEN Res, allowing APC’s Bulacan factory to run on 100% renewable energy, with the goal of lessening its environmental footprint.

From 2011 till 2015, Mr. Taro Fujie served as president of Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation. And he has returned to the Philippines after nearly a decade, this time in the capacity of President and CEO of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. He has conveyed his appreciation to the APC Group and, above all, the Filipino community, which has long supported the Ajinomoto name. Ajinomoto genuinely believes that in the near future, all of our combined efforts will undoubtedly be enjoyed by the generations to come, whose mindsets have been instilled with the same responsibility of taking part in nurturing our environment while living a healthy life. Ajinomoto is committed to serving the community through managing the Ajinomoto business and co-creating a better future for everyone.

To learn more, visit www.ajinomoto.com.