Jollibee Group, Cargill work together towards a more sustainable future

  The country’s leading restaurant company, Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) this year celebrates 45 years of spreading the joy of eating to everyone.  Throughout the decades, JFC has upheld its commitment to sustainable practices as embodied in its ‘Joy for Tomorrow’ global sustainability agenda and has partnered with reputable suppliers who share its principles on serving food people trust, helping make people’s lives better and treating the planet responsibly. 

One such partnership is with global food and agriculture company, Cargill, that paves way towards a steady path to a sustainable future. The collaboration was strengthened in 2017 when it established C-Joy Poultry Meats Production Incorporated as a joint venture between the two companies. C-Joy is one of the largest poultry processing plants in the Philippines and has developed and supplied numerous poultry products including whole chicken and marinated choice cuts to JFC.  

Cargill has been a major supplier of Jollibee Group with a proven track record in agricultural food development and production and brings in its 158 years of expertise into the joint venture. 

Environmental Sustainability

Cargill’s purpose is to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. From small family farms to global shipping lanes, Cargill works every day to implement new sustainable practices to reduce its impact on the planet and protect people. Similarly, JFC aims for environmental stewardship and uplifting people’s lives on top of serving safe quality food as part of its sustainability agenda.

In line with these sustainable practices and both companies’ commitment towards the environment, the C-Joy processing plant conducts regular audits and inspections to ensure that effluent and air emission results are within the government prescribed standards. “C-Joy is committed to help the communities we operate in thrive, and part of this commitment is making sure we take care of our environment through responsible practices and complying with regulations,” said C-Joy President and CEO Mija Darlene Cachapero.

C-Joy has also implemented activities such as Adopt-A-River and Tree Planting among many others as part of its corporate responsibility program. Moreover, C-Joy invests in state-of-the-art technology in constant search for efficiency and improvement in operations such as water management, energy use, and the use of plastics among others. 

Animal care

Cargill cares for animals in a manner that embraces proven animal science, husbandry, and standards. It is committed to continuous improvement in its animal welfare efforts, with its philosophy based on meeting or exceeding the Five Freedoms adopted by the UK Farm Animal Welfare Council and supported by the Paris-based Organization for Animal Health that are held as the global standard for the fair and ethical treatment of animals. 

Operating with these standards in the plant, C-Joy was awarded an NSF Animal Welfare Certification by the National Chicken Council (NCC) of the United States of America for exemplary compliance with the standards and guidelines provided by the NCC Animal Welfare Guidelines. 

In 2020, the C-Joy poultry processing plant has likewise been accredited by the National Meat Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture as a triple A (AAA) production facility, which is the highest accreditation tier of its kind. 

Sustainability Agenda

In March 2023, the Jollibee Group further asserted its strong commitment to sustainable business practices with the launch of its global sustainability agenda – Joy for Tomorrow. It centers on three pillars—Food, People, and Planet. Across these pillars are 10 sustainability focus areas, namely Food Safety, Food Quality, Nutrition & Transparency, Employee Welfare, Farmers Livelihood, Community Support, Good Governance, Packaging & Recycling, Waste Reduction, and Energy & Water Efficiency. Each area will showcase initiatives and goals that are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Poised for growth

With Jollibee Group’s aspiration of becoming one of the Top 5 restaurant companies in the world and with Cargill’s global footprint, C-Joy President and CEO Mija Darlene Cachapero shared her confidence for a greater partnership:

“Poised for greater growth, Cargill remains committed to nourishing the people and the communities in which we operate. With a strong partner in Jollibee Foods Corporation, we are able to fulfill our goal and continue to grow alongside them as we meet the demands and needs of our stakeholders and consumers in a safe, innovative, and sustainable way amid ever-evolving trends. We share our heartfelt congratulations to JFC for reaching 45 years of creating high quality products and providing millions of people with delightful and joyous moments through the delicious food it serves.”  

Jollibee Group Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Tanmantiong expressed: “As we celebrate 45 years of helping spread the joy of eating to everyone, we are grateful to have found a long-term partner in Cargill, a global industry leader. This partnership is truly special because of our shared commitment towards high quality standards for all our products, food safety and a strong thrust in developing and implementing sustainable practices—all of which will further propel us in the next 45 years.”