Jollibee unveils latest sustainability initiatives

MANILA, Philippines — The Jollibee Group has unveiled its Global Sustainability Agency, which aims to strengthen the company’s commitment to sustainable business practices.

Jollibee Group president and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said that as one of the fastest growing restaurant companies in the world, the company recognizes the importance of impacting positive change.

“Our challenge in Jollibee Group is how to sustain our success while creating a positive impact on our society and planet. As one of the fastest growing restaurant companies in the world, and with our vision to become one of top companies in our industry, we recognize that we have a significant role and responsibility in impacting positive change,” Tanmantiong said.

With its sustainability blueprint, the company is integrating all its sustainability efforts into a more cohesive framework that covers the Jollibee Group community, including employees, business partners, suppliers, vendors, and other stakeholders.

The agenda centers on three pillars namely food, people, and planet and the pillars consist of 10 focus areas.

These are food safety, food quality, nutrition and transparency, employee welfare, farmers livelihood, community support, good governance, packaging and recycling, waste reduction, and energy and water efficiency. Each focus area sets goals and initiatives that contribute and align to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

According to Jollibee Group Chief Sustainability and Public Affairs Officer Pepot Miñana, the agenda serves as the company’s roadmap for achieving the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.

“It’s a call to action for everyone in Jollibee Group, amid the pursuit of our sustainability pillars of food, people, and planet. It is our commitment to future generations to preserve and improve natural resources from which they can benefit,” Miñana said.

Some of its efforts include quality management efforts and audits.

In 2022, the company conducted over 15,000 food, service, and cleanliness (FSC) audits across its stores worldwide, while over 125,600 online training hours were devoted to food, service, cleanliness and Condition.

Moreover, 100 percent of its stores, commissaries, and logistics facilities have undergone rigorous quality management audits.

Outside of the organization, Jollibee Group Foundation’s Farmer Entrepreneurship Program (FEP) has enabled over 700 smallholder farmers across the Philippines to deliver their produce directly to the Jollibee Group. Today, the white onions, green bell peppers, tomatoes, calamansi, ginger, and other vegetables that the company uses in Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, and Mang Inasal products come from FEP farmers.

In terms of environmental sustainability, the group focuses on the key areas of packaging and recycling, energy, water, and waste.

By the end of 2022, Jollibee Group manufacturing sites in the Philippines achieved 21 percent reduction in energy use ratio, 23 percent reduction in water use ratio, and 38 percent reduction of waste, with almost 50 percent of waste now being recycled versus the company’s 2020 benchmarks.

“We understand that assessing our impact is a continuous process of ambition and refinement. We will track the success of our strategies over the coming years, and periodically review our material topics and stakeholder engagement process. We will set agile goals and targets to help us significantly impact society and the environment in more meaningful ways,” Tanmantiong said.