Our community came together online to explore how animal welfare and responsible sourcing can help build more sustainable and resilient food systems.

 

Animal welfare is no longer a niche sustainability topic.

Across the food industry, it is becoming increasingly connected to consumer trust, responsible sourcing, ESG reporting, investor expectations, and long-term business resilience. From retailers and food manufacturers to hospitality groups and caterers, more organisations are exploring how animal welfare fits into their sustainability strategies.

At our June Future Green Members Monthly Meetup, Dawn Neo, Director of Corporate Engagement at Global Food Partners, provided practical insights into how food, retail, and hospitality companies across Asia are advancing cage-free egg sourcing and strengthening animal welfare commitments. Heidi also reflected on the evolution of animal welfare frameworks and why supporting animal welfare is becoming an essential part of building sustainable, resilient food systems.

Why Animal Welfare Matters More Than Ever

Animal welfare influences much more than farm practices.

It is increasingly linked to responsible sourcing, food security, biodiversity, supply chain resilience, and ESG performance. 

As Heidi explained:

 

From the Five Freedoms to the Five Domains

Many organisations are familiar with the Five Freedoms framework, which focuses on reducing suffering through freedom from hunger, discomfort, pain, fear, and the ability to express natural behaviours.

Today, leading organisations are increasingly adopting the Five Domains Model, which goes further by recognising animals as sentient beings capable of positive experiences as well as negative ones.

The Five Domains consider:

• Nutrition
• Environment
• Health
• Behaviour
• Mental State

This shift moves the conversation beyond simply avoiding suffering towards creating conditions where animals can experience wellbeing and live “a life worth living.”

The Five Domains of Animal Welfare and their role in building better food systems. (Source: Modern Poultry)

Why Cage-Free Eggs Have Become a Global Priority

One of the most visible animal welfare issues is the use of conventional cages for laying hens.

Dawn explained that more than 2,000 companies globally have committed to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs within defined timelines, with many targeting 2025–2030. These commitments span hospitality groups, retailers, food manufacturers, and caterers around the world.

Importantly, the momentum is growing across Asia.

Companies such as Minor International, Dairy Farm, SaladStop!, Lotus’s, and Super Indo have all taken steps toward cage-free sourcing, while retailers across the region are expanding cage-free product availability.

As Dawn shared:

 

Cage-free farming supports better animal welfare outcomes. (Source: Global Food Partners)

What Does Cage-Free Actually Mean?

Cage-free does not simply mean removing cages.

The goal is to give hens the opportunity to express natural behaviours such as:

• Nesting
• Perching
• Foraging
• Dust bathing
• Social interaction

Dawn explained how hens naturally seek private nesting spaces, scratch and forage for food, perch at night, and dust bathe to maintain feather health. Cage-free systems are designed to allow these behaviours, helping improve both physical and behavioural welfare outcomes.

However, she also noted an important point:

Cage-free systems allow hens to express natural behaviours such as foraging, nesting, dustbathing, and perching—key elements of good animal welfare. (Source: Global Food Partners)

Turning Commitments into Action

One of the biggest challenges companies face is not deciding to improve animal welfare—it is figuring out how to implement it.

Global Food Partners works directly with food businesses, retailers, hospitality groups, and producers across Asia to help bridge that gap. Their work includes:

• Supplier engagement and training
• Producer support and farm transitions
• Development of cage-free roadmaps
• Industry education
• Building local supply chains

Dawn shared examples from organisations including Compass Group, Best Western, Super Indo, Lagardère Travel Retail, and IKEA, demonstrating how businesses are moving from commitments to measurable implementation.

The Cost Question

One of the most common questions raised during the session was cost.

While cage-free eggs typically cost more to produce, Dawn explained that the overall impact on many hospitality operations is often smaller than businesses initially expect.

Research and industry experience suggest cage-free systems may cost approximately 20–36% more at the egg level, but because eggs are only one component of broader food operations, the overall business impact can be relatively modest.

The discussion also highlighted opportunities to offset costs through:

• Reducing food waste
• Improving operational efficiency
• Diversifying protein sources
• Smarter procurement strategies

Growing availability of cage-free eggs in supermarkets across Asia. (Source: Global Food Partners)

The Connection Between Animal Welfare and Food Waste

An unexpected connection emerged during the discussion.

At our previous meetup on food waste with Winnow Solutions, participants learned that scrambled eggs were one of the largest sources of breakfast buffet waste in many hotel operations.

This sparked an important reflection: if eggs remain such an important part of our food system, being a low cost source of protein for many, businesses should think not only about how they are sourced, but also how they are valued and wasted.

Animal welfare and food waste may seem like separate topics, but both challenge us to build food systems that are more responsible, efficient, and respectful of resources.

Key Takeaways

🥚 Animal welfare is becoming an increasingly important part of ESG and sustainability strategies.

🌱 Cage-free sourcing is gaining momentum across Asia, driven by businesses, investors, retailers, and consumers.

🐔 The Five Domains Model is helping organisations move beyond reducing suffering towards supporting positive animal wellbeing.

🤝 Supplier engagement and collaboration are critical to implementing meaningful animal welfare improvements.

📉 Reducing food waste and improving sourcing practices can work together to create more resilient and responsible food systems.

💬 Audience Insights and Q&A

Q1: Why are companies choosing to adopt cage-free egg commitments?

A: Dawn explained that motivations vary. For some businesses, animal welfare aligns with their company values and sustainability goals. Others are responding to investor expectations, ESG reporting requirements, consumer demand, or responsible sourcing commitments.

Q2: What are the biggest challenges when transitioning to cage-free eggs?

A: Common barriers include supply availability, higher costs, limited access to cage-free egg products such as liquid eggs, supplier readiness, and existing procurement contracts. Global Food Partners helps companies navigate these challenges by working directly with both buyers and producers.

Q3: Does switching to cage-free eggs significantly increase costs?

A: Dawn shared that cage-free eggs typically cost around 20–36% more at production level. However, because eggs often represent a relatively small portion of overall food costs, many businesses find the overall operational impact to be modest. Some organizations offset costs through food waste reduction and more efficient menu planning.

Our community coming together online to explore how reducing food waste can create smarter, more efficient, and more resilient food businesses.

 

What if the biggest opportunity to improve profits, reduce emissions, and future-proof food businesses was hiding inside the bin?

That was one of the biggest takeaways from our May Future Green Members Monthly Meetup, where sustainability leaders, hospitality professionals, consultants, chefs, and food businesses came together online to explore one urgent topic: reducing food loss and waste.

This month’s session featured David Jackson, Director of Marketing and Public Affairs at Winnow, a company helping commercial kitchens use AI to better understand and reduce food waste globally.

And David opened the conversation with a line nobody on the call will forget:

 

Strange? Maybe.

Necessary? Absolutely.

Because behind every discarded croissant, tray of scrambled eggs, or untouched buffet item lies a hidden operational cost many kitchens still fail to measure.

Turning food waste data into smarter kitchen decisions. (Source: Winnow)

Food Waste Is Bigger Than Most Businesses Realise

Around one-third to 40% of all food globally is never eaten, while food waste contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions through methane released in landfill.

But one of the strongest takeaways from the session was that waste reduction is not simply about “being greener.” It is also about protecting margins in a time of rising food costs and supply chain pressures.

David shared that many commercial kitchens unknowingly waste between 4% to 15% of purchased food, with some operations wasting even more.

For hospitality businesses already facing inflation and operational pressure, that is a major hidden cost.

Making food waste visible, measurable, and preventable. (Source: Winnow)

Why Measurement Changes Everything

A recurring word throughout our Future Green Meetup was visibility. As Heidi highlighted during the session, when waste is not measured, it remains invisible.

This is where Winnow’s AI system comes in. Their technology combines cameras, weighing scales, and computer vision AI to identify food being discarded in real time.

The goal is not to create more work for chefs. In fact, the process is designed to be almost effortless for kitchen teams. Staff simply dispose of food as normal while the system automatically records what is being wasted, how much it weighs, and its associated cost.

This data then helps kitchens identify patterns:

• Which menu items are consistently overproduced
• Which ingredients are being spoiled
• Which dishes customers leave unfinished
• Where operational changes can quickly reduce waste

The discussion reinforced something many businesses overlook: prevention is far more impactful than simply diverting waste from landfill.

 

The Breakfast Buffet Challenge

According to Winnow’s data, buffets are often one of the most wasteful areas within hospitality because kitchens prepare large volumes of food before knowing exact guest demand.

And surprisingly, one of the biggest waste items across hotels?

Scrambled eggs.

David shared a case study from a Marriott hotel in London where Winnow identified excessive waste from breakfast service. By introducing smaller batch cooking and live cooking stations during peak hours, the hotel significantly reduced wasted eggs.

Another standout example came from Hilton hotels in the UAE.

After measuring food waste across breakfast operations, Hilton achieved a reduction of more than 60% in food waste per guest served within just a few months.

What impressed us most was not just the technology itself, but the mindset shift behind it.

The conversation was not about blame. It was about creating visibility so teams could improve together.

David also shared a strong Asia-Pacific example involving Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. According to Winnow’s data, the hotel achieved an overall food waste reduction of more than 70%, saving over 21,000 meals annually and reducing costs by more than HK$300,000. It showed that food waste reduction is not only possible at scale, but can also deliver measurable operational and financial results locally. 

AI-powered food waste tracking helping kitchens identify exactly what is being wasted and where prevention can start. (Source: Winnow)

AI Is Useful, But People Drive the Change

While AI was a major theme throughout the session, David repeatedly emphasised something important:

 

Winnow supports kitchens with food waste coaching, operational training, and culinary guidance alongside its technology platform. Chefs receive insights into overproduction, spoilage, trim waste, and guest behavior, allowing them to adjust menus and prep methods over time.

One example that sparked a lot of discussion was a hotel reducing melon waste simply by sourcing smaller fruit and adjusting slicing techniques.

Another involved analysing unfinished pastries left on guests’ plates. Hilton discovered guests rarely finished full-sized croissants, so they reduced portion sizes and lowered waste without compromising the guest experience.

It was a reminder that sustainability is often less about grand innovation and more about operational awareness.

 

🎉 Engaging the Community

The session wrapped up with an interactive Kahoot quiz, where participants tested their knowledge on food waste, buffet operations, waste prevention, and sustainable kitchen practices.

Congratulations to Eddie Pang from East Hotel for topping the leader board and winning an exclusive consultation from Winnow. 

Moments like these brought an engaging and interactive energy to the session through shared learning and conversation.

 

🌍 Why This Conversation Matters

At Future Green, we often talk about systems thinking and practical sustainability.

This meetup reflected both.

What stood out most was how achievable many of these changes actually are once businesses begin measuring waste consistently.

Because ultimately, waste that is invisible is very difficult to reduce.

And whether through AI tools, manual audits, or simple kitchen tracking systems, measurement creates awareness and awareness creates action.

 

💬 Audience Insights and Q&A

The live Q&A brought valuable operational insights from hospitality and food service professionals across the Future Green community.

💬 Q: Are businesses focusing too much on diversion instead of prevention when it comes to food waste?
A: David explained that while recycling and diversion from landfill are important, prevention should always be the priority. Once food is wasted, valuable resources such as ingredients, labor, water, and energy have already been lost.

💬 Q: Why should businesses invest in a solution like Winnow instead of simply tracking food waste manually on paper?
A: David explained that it depends on the business’s objectives. Manual audits using paper and scales can still help teams understand what is happening operationally. However, for businesses managing margin pressure, sustainability targets, or larger operations, a solution like Winnow can automate measurement, provide deeper operational insights, and support more effective long-term waste reduction.

💬 Q: Do kitchens resist food waste tracking technology or changing operational habits?
A: David shared that change management is an important part of the process. Winnow focuses on making waste tracking simple and non-disruptive for kitchen teams, while helping chefs understand the operational and financial value behind the data.

AST: The Eco-Conscious Kitchen: Designing Menus that Align with UN Sustainable Development Goals webinar with Rhea Vitto Tabora (Co-Founder of AST), Anna Lees (Culinova Consulting) and Chef Sandy Keung (TABLE).

 

Last week, I was invited to join Rhea Vitto Tabora, Co-Founder of the Asia Sustainable Travel (AST), for The Eco-Conscious Kitchen: Designing Menus that Align with UN Sustainable Development Goals webinar.

Together with Anna Lees (Culinova Consulting) and Chef Sandy Keung (TABLE), we explored what it really takes to design menus that balance sustainability with flavor, profitability, and guest experience.

With over 100 attendees from hotel groups across the globe, it was an engaging session packed with practical insights, and a strong reminder that sustainability in foodservice is no longer a future ambition, but a present-day responsibility.

What emerged was a clear message. Sustainable kitchens are not built through grand gestures, but through smarter, more intentional decisions.

Rethinking what drives impact

One of the biggest misconceptions in hospitality is where impact actually comes from. Many operators focus heavily on local sourcing, assuming it is the most sustainable choice.

But as Anna Lees put it:

 

 

While local sourcing plays an important role in supporting communities, the real environmental impact lies in what is on the plate. Ingredient choice, particularly reducing high-impact proteins like beef, can dramatically shift a menu’s footprint.

As we heard and illustrated this with a powerful example, replacing beef with plant-based alternatives like tempeh can reduce emissions by up to 30 times, with significant water savings as well.

For operators, this reframes the conversation. Sustainability is not just about sourcing closer. It is about choosing better.

AST: The Eco-Conscious Kitchen: Designing Menus that Align with UN Sustainable Development Goals webinar

The hidden challenges inside the kitchen

For many foodservice providers, the challenge is not willingness, but execution.

It was worth highlighting that one of the biggest barriers is visibility.

 

 

Without clear supply chain data, it becomes difficult to establish a carbon baseline or make informed decisions. Yet, measuring impact is not as complex as many believe. With just a few key data points such as portion size, country of origin, and production method, kitchens can begin to understand their footprint.

The real challenge lies elsewhere. Time, ownership, and siloed teams often slow progress. Sustainability initiatives fail when procurement, marketing, and operations and other departments are not aligned.

 

Designing menus that people actually want

Shifting to more sustainable menus is not just a technical exercise. It is a creative and commercial one.

Anna stressed the importance of moving beyond niche thinking.

 

 

Plant-forward dishes must be designed for everyone. That means prioritizing flavor, texture, and experience just as much as sustainability. Positioning also matters. A well-crafted dish can fail simply because it is labeled or placed incorrectly on the menu.

Chef Sandy Keung offered a different perspective, showing how sustainability can be embedded naturally into the dining experience. By integrating principles from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and seasonal eating, her menus connect sustainability with personal wellbeing.

As she explained,

 

 

By linking food choices to health and culture, sustainability becomes more relevant and engaging for guests.

Turning waste into opportunity

Beyond menu design, operational changes can unlock significant impact.

From repurposing food waste into new products to using technology that reduces spoilage, kitchens have opportunities to rethink waste as a resource.

I shared examples of turning fruit trimmings into high-value products like kombucha, transforming waste streams into revenue streams.

The key is making these changes easy for teams to adopt. Behavior change, not just strategy, is what drives real results.

From ideas to action

The webinar closed with a simple but powerful takeaway. Start small.

Focus on one ingredient, one dish, or one process. Test, learn, and build from there. Sustainability does not require perfection. It requires momentum.

Because ultimately, as the session reinforced, a menu is more than just food on a plate. It is a tool that can influence supply chains, shape consumer behavior, and contribute to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals.

 

At Future Green, we are incredibly proud to announce a monumental milestone in global climate education.

In partnership with the Speak Carbon Collective, we recently delivered the official Carbon Literacy training to student leaders at AISL Harrow Shenzhen Qianhai (Harrow Shenzhen). Making history, these students are the very first in the world outside of the United Kingdom to undertake this accredited Carbon Literacy course.

In today’s fast-paced world, keeping up with professional development is crucial, especially in the field of sustainability. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses are designed to help you do just that. These courses are recognised and approved by CPD accreditation bodies, ensuring they provide valuable, high-quality learning experiences. This means that the course content is relevant, comprehensive, and practical. If you’re keen to excel in food sustainability, a CPD certified course could be the key to your success. Let’s explore what a CPD certified course is and how it can boost your career. 

Become Your Company’s Leading Voice for Food Sustainability With Our CPD Course

Enrolling in a CPD certified course in food sustainability, like the one offered by us, sets you up to be a leader in your organisation. This course empowers you to:

• Expand Your Knowledge: Gain deep insights into sustainable food standards and certifications, learning from industry experts.
• Develop Your Plan: Create actionable strategies for implementing sustainable practices in your procurement processes.
• Take Action: Drive meaningful change within your organisation, contributing to broader environmental and health goals.

CPD Course Highlights: Transform Your Knowledge in 30 Days

Future Green’s CPD certified course is designed to transform your understanding and application of sustainability in just 30 days. Here’s what you can expect:

• Comprehensive Modules: Covering topics such as sustainable sourcing, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability.
• Practical Toolkits: 12 Future Green toolkits to help you implement changes effectively.
• Hands-On Worksheets: 13 practical worksheets to guide you through your sustainability plan.
• Knowledge Tests: Three quizzes to assess and reinforce your learning.
• Cheat Sheet: A handy reference with over 25 international standards.

Addressing Key Challenges in Food Sustainability

This course tackles the pressing challenges faced by professionals in the food industry, including:

• Localising Global Strategies: Adapting global sustainability strategies to local contexts.
• Ensuring Best Practices: Navigating the complexities of sustainability standards and practices.
• Building Credibility: Enhancing your ability to communicate sustainability initiatives to your team and customers.

Get Started!

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Conclusion

Investing in a CPD certified course in food sustainability is a strategic move for any professional looking to advance their career and make a significant impact. By expanding your knowledge, developing actionable plans, and taking decisive action, you can become a credible voice in sustainability and drive meaningful change within your organisation. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your expertise and contribute to a more sustainable future. Enrol today and transform your career in just 30 days.

 

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Together, we’re not just talking about a sustainable future; we’re building it. Let’s make every meal a story worth telling.

Stay green, stay inspired.

Future Green Team