The Jollibee Group launched last March 16 its Global Sustainability Agenda dubbed Joy for Tomorrow, which aims to further strengthen the company’s commitment to sustainable business practices.

While Jollibee Group has made significant strides over its 45-year history in various social and environmental projects, it is now purposely integrating all its sustainability efforts into a more cohesive framework that unites the Jollibee Group community, including employees, business partners, suppliers, vendors, and other stakeholders, toward a set of shared sustainability goals.

With Joy for Tomorrow, Jollibee Group stays true to its mission of bringing the joy of eating to everyone, acknowledging that this mission extends not only to its customers and stakeholders today, but also to future generations. The company recognizes that it must use its global scale, resources, and expertise to help usher a more sustainable future for society and the planet.

“Our challenge in Jollibee Group is how to sustain our success while creating positive impact to 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,” said Jollibee Group President and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong.

The Joy for Tomorrow Sustainability Agenda centers on three pillars namely Food, People, and Planet. These pillars consist of 10 focus areas: Food Safety, Food Quality, Nutrition & Transparency, Employee Welfare, Farmers Livelihood, Community Support, Good Governance, Packaging & Recycling, Waste Reduction, and Energy & 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, Joy for Tomorrow 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.

Serving food that people trust

Jollibee Group prioritizes food safety and quality to maintain the trust of its customers worldwide.

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 & Condition. Moreover, 100% of its stores, commissaries, and logistics facilities have undergone rigorous Quality Management audits. The group also achieved a global Net Promoter Score of 82, exceeding industry benchmark of 50, showcasing customer satisfaction and loyalty for the various brands.

Helping make people’s lives better

Jollibee Group recognizes the invaluable role in fostering an inclusive work environment for its employees, partners, farmers, and communities.

In 2022, women made up 59% of management positions and 51% of the total workforce. Through training courses on Unconscious Bias, Inclusive Leadership, and Anti-Discrimination, the company educates its employees on the value and benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace. As a measure of high employee engagement, the group achieved the 70thpercentile of Gallup’s Q12 percentile ranking.

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 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.

Treating the planet responsibly

In terms of environmental sustainability, Jollibee 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% reduction in energy use ratio, 23% reduction in water use ratio, and 38% reduction of waste, with almost 50% of waste now being recycled versus the company’s 2020 benchmarks. On the store level, each solar panel installed reduces about 3-7% of consumption form the grid.

Progress over perfection

“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.

Apart from establishing a unit dedicated to sustainability and the appointment of a Chief Sustainability Officer as part of its Executive Team, Jollibee Group also instituted an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Council to ensure that its business operations are aligned with the sustainability goals.

“Our Global Sustainability Agenda represents our belief system in conducting business more ethically. As a global food company, we are responsible and deliberate with our actions and their impact, and we are making our sustainability measures the way of the future,” added Miñana.

Find out more about Jollibee Group’s Sustainability Agenda by visiting https://jollibeegroup.com/sustainability/

Bernadeth Carandang is a farmer leader and teacher from Magallanes, Cavite who advocates for agro-entrepreneurship so that farmers become more successful..

 

Bernadeth Carandang is the farmer leader at the Magallanes-Samahang Magsasaka ng Kay-apas at Medina Agriculture Cooperative (MAG-SAMAKAME) in Cavite. Growing up in a farming family, she understood the difficulties faced by farmers.

“Utang, benta, at bayad kami noon. Uutang para sa kapital, magbebenta ng ani, at ipambabayad sa utang yung kita. Tapos uulit lang. Halos wala nang naiiwan sa amin (Borrow money, sell, and pay off debts was our practice. We would loan our capital, sell our harvest, and pay off debts with our earnings. It was a cycle. We almost had nothing left),” she said. Bernadeth and her fellow farmers wondered how they could increase their income since farming is the only livelihood they knew.

Becoming agro-entrepreneurs

In 2018, the local government unit (LGU) of Magallanes joined Jollibee Group Foundation’s (JGF) Farmer Entrepreneurship Program (FEP), which helps farmers increase their income by directly supplying institutional markets.

Through the partnership, MAG-SAMAKAME was trained on the eight-step Agro-Enterprise Clustering Approach, which culminates in their delivery to Jollibee Group as an accredited supplier. Bernadeth also participated in the course “Agro-entrepreneurship for Inclusive Value Chains,” where she further honed her business and leadership skills. The course was co-developed by Jollibee Group Foundation with Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan.

In 2022, MAG-SAMAKAME started its regular deliveries of tomato to Jollibee Group. Bernadeth recalled she was very anxious during their first delivery to the depot, thinking something might go wrong. It was not until she held the delivery receipt that she messaged the farmers who were eagerly waiting from their homes, “This is it!” “’Yung isa sa kanila napapikit talaga at sabi, ‘Ang sarap sa pakiramdam!’ (One of them closed his eyes and said, ‘This feels so good!’,” Bernadeth shared. Since then, they have delivered a monthly average of 2,500 kgs of fresh tomatoes, which are used in Jollibee’s Champ burgers.

A woman farmer leader

As cooperative secretary, Bernadeth is also a leader who empowers farmers, especially women. MAG-SAMAKAME was formed in 2003 with 16 pioneering members. It has since grown fivefold to 84, wherein 57% or 48 members are females.

“Sabi nila kapag magsasaka, dapat lalaki. Ngayon, dumarami na rin ang mga babae (They said that farmers should be males. Now, we’re seeing that more women are becoming farmers), observed Bernadeth.

As a woman, Bernadeth finds her greatest strength is patience, which she uses not only in tending to her crops, but also in encouraging farmer members to join the cluster that supplies to Jollibee. “Dati ayaw nila sumali, hindi daw nila kaya magcommit. Sabi ko ‘wag tayong matakot sumubok (Before, the farmers refused to join, saying they can’t commit. I told them to not be afraid to try),” she said.

By teaching them how to think and act like entrepreneurs, Bernadeth found that the farmers have become more cooperative. Now, they are already thinking of how to grow their business further by planting other vegetables like bell pepper and seeking other institutional buyers.

“We aim to expand our vegetable deliveries so that we can also help other farmers in Magallanes, through our coordination with the LGU,” Bernadeth said in Filipino.

Sowing seeds of hope

The Magallanes-Samahang Magsasaka ng Kay-apas at Medina Agriculture Cooperative (MAG-SAMAKAME) farmers have been delivering tomatoes to Jollibee Group since 2022 through the Farmer Entrepreneurship Program of Jollibee Group Foundation

With her unending passion for learning, Bernadeth took up Education while remaining committed to farming. She passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers in 2022 and now teaches Technology and Livelihood Education to secondary students.

“Tinanong ko ang students ko kung anong gusto nilang maging. Walang may gustong magsaka. Ituturo ko sa kanila na farming is a business, at ang kaalaman ko sa agriculture at agro-enterprise. (I asked my students what they want to be in the future. Nobody wants to farm. I will teach them that farming is a business, as well as my knowledge in agriculture and agro-enterprise),” she said. “After all, farming is a profession of hope.”

Jollibee Group Foundation and Singapore-based Temasek Foundation partner donated 105, 650 meals across five Philippine regions.

Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) has partnered with Singapore-based Temasek Foundation to augment the Jollibee Group FoodAID Program, which seeks to help feed healthcare workers and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Temasek Foundation is a non-profit philanthropic organization that supports programs that uplift lives and communities in Singapore and beyond. The Foundation aims to strengthen social resilience, foster international exchange and regional capabilities, advance science, and protect the planet.

Through the support provided by Temasek Foundation, JGF and its partners were able to distribute 105,650 meals across Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal from September to December 2020. Of these, 99,400 meals were served to communities, while the remaining 6,250 meals were served to healthcare workers from 20 public hospitals.

The FoodAID Program was implemented through three initiatives, all of which were supported by the Temasek Foundation.

First is the distribution of ready-to-cook food packs that were directly delivered to communities through JGF’s local partner organizations. JGF leveraged on Jollibee Group’s expertise in meal preparation and product development of specially designed food packs—Chicken Guisado and Beef Meatballs—that allow more people to be provided with nutritious, delicious meals at a lower cost.

Second is Project Karinderya—a program that helps feed families while facilitating livelihood development of karinderya (local food stores) operators. Through the support from Temasek Foundation, JGF partnered with Kasagana-Ka Development Center (KDCI) and Kabuhayan sa Ganap na Kasarinlan Credit and Savings Cooperative (K-Coop) to re-establish 30 karinderyas that served 200 families with daily meals for 30 days. JGF also provided training for karinderya owners and health cadets on food preparation, food safety, and customer service to further build their capacities and help them become self-sufficient even after the project duration.

A health cadet trained through Project Karinderya helps ensure that karinderya operators observe standards on food preparation, food safety, and customer service in Quezon City. Project Karinderya is a two-in-one program that helps both karinderya owners whose operations were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and families in urban poor communities through meal subsidies.

Third is the distribution of ready-to-eat meals to healthcare workers who are working at hospitals in Metro Manila with the highest incidences of COVID-19.

The Jollibee Group FoodAID Program distributed meals to healthcare workers on the frontlines of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 is a global long-term public health crisis, undermining not just our physical and mental health but also our economy and livelihoods. Viruses do not respect borders and it is only when we band together as one will we be able to defeat this global enemy. We are happy to work with Jollibee Group Foundation in the Philippines to provide more than 105,000 meals and other support where they are most needed. The smiles and resolve of the beneficiaries to soldier on and pull through together is an indication that we are on the right track,” said Mr. Benedict Cheong, Chief Executive of Temasek Foundation International.

“There exists a need for sustained collaborative efforts that can effectively promote access to food among communities by the pandemic and recent disasters. We thank the Temasek Foundation for their trust in the Jollibee Group and their belief in the objectives of the FoodAID Program. Truly, crises such as this pandemic have the power to band like-minded people and groups together,” said Jollibee Group Foundation Executive Director Gisela Tiongson.

Together with partners and donors, Jollibee Group FoodAID Program has mobilized Php300 million (USD 6.2 million)-worth of food assistance or 4.7 million meals for families and frontliners from March to December 2020.

As the social development arm of Jollibee Group, JGF implements programs on agriculture, education, and disaster response with partner communities nationwide.

Made possible through philanthropic endowments gifted by Singapore’s Temasek, Temasek Foundation’s programs strive towards achieving positive outcomes for individuals and communities now, and for generations to come.

The country’s number one fast-food chain partnered with the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) to spread hope and joy last December through the "Magbahagi para sa mga Bata sa Marawi", a Jollibee Maaga ang Pasko special gift-giving program.

Jollibee and JGF volunteers also gave away Jollibee Yumburgers, Red Ribbon treats, toiletries and hygiene kits to more than 500 students from 15 schools who gathered at the Amai Pakpak Central Elementary School.

The students and their teachers, school and local Department of Education officials welcomed Jollibee as he delighted everyone with a jolly dance number. The beneficiaries, in turn, showed their appreciation to everyone’s best friend by doing various song and dance numbers.
The gift-giving activity was made possible with the help of the Alrose Group of Companies, Philippine Business for Social Progress, the local government of Marawi, and other volunteers. Other donation partners were Robinsons Department Store, Adarna House, Goodwill Bookstore, Katha Publishing, Rex Bookstore and Vibal Publishing House, Inc.

The program supports Jollibee’s belief in #SharingJoy especially among children, as it fosters love, care and compassion for others.