The Sustainable Restaurant Association launch the ‘Power of Food’ global campaign in partnership with HSBC, alongside local Hong Kong names like Michelin Star Chef Shane Osborn, Celebrity Chef Christian Yang, actress and foodie Grace Chan and local Hong Kong charity, Food Angel.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 27 July 2023 – This month, TheSustainable Restaurant Association (The SRA) together with HSBC launch a global awareness campaign to promote social sustainability in the hospitality industry and beyond. The ‘Power of Food’ campaign showcases the importance of food as a medium of connection and will highlight the ways in which global chefs and restaurateurs are using food to make a difference with their local communities, families, schools and under-served populations. Hong Kong household names taking part include Chef Shane Osborn alongside celebrity chef Christian Yang and actress, Grace Chan. Local food rescue and assistance program Food Angel will also take part. The campaign will highlight the ways in which ‘breaking bread’ with family and through communities can make a difference every day. 16 notable hospitality personalities and organisations from around the world will join hands to take part in the ‘Power of Food’ campaign in July and August spanning Hong Kong, Singapore, UK & UAE.
The SRA runs the world’s largest holistic sustainability accreditation – Food Made Good – for the global hospitality sector. Currently there are over 3,600 hospitality business with a Food Made Good accreditation globally, with 30 members in Hong Kong. ‘Feed People Well’ and ‘Support the Community’ are key components of the Food Made Good Framework under the ‘Society’ pillar, which reflects the broader connections that any sustainable business needs to foster.
‘Food and Family’ will be the first focus of the summer campaign, focusing on the importance of taking the time to cook and eat with family. This is crucial for strengthening familial relationships, sharing valuable knowledge on nutrition, flavour and food sourcing and teaching essential, real-world life skills. Studies* show that involving kids in cooking is associated with more positive food choices. Early education is paramount to the next generation’s relationship with food and their understanding on how nutrition fits into a healthy lifestyle.
Throughout the campaign, well-known faces from the hospitality industry will share a variety of ideas across social media that can be genuinely useful for families. This will range from simple recipes that kids can help with, to tips that teach them about growing produce and forming new connections with the origins of their food.
‘Food and Community’ will be the second focus of the campaign, demonstrating the integral role that food plays in building connections within local communities. Derived from The SRA’s Food Made Good Standard**, this campaign celebrates everyone’s right to access good, nutritious food and showcases ways to support each other through this powerful medium. The SRA will be championing chef-led initiatives around the world, highlighting how they are contributing to the communities around them in meaningful ways – this could be providing access to nutritious meals, creating jobs and/or supporting people who have experienced social disadvantage. There are some fantastic participants confirmed for this initiative, ranging from major players in the scene to those quietly going about their important work: Food Angel (Hong Kong), Open Farm Community (Singapore) and Luminary Bakery (UK) to name just a few.
The ‘Power of Food’ campaign has been produced as part of a wider partnership between The SRA and HSBC. Earlier this year, the two organisations partnered on More Taste, Less Waste, a series of short films showcasing how restaurants around the world are utilising some of our most wasted food ingredients to reduce waste in kitchens. In its totality, the partnership aims to highlight the fundamental role food has in our lives: for our environment, for our societies and for our collective futures.
Juliane Caillouette Noble, Managing Director of The SRA, said: “The Power of Food is something that we at The SRA are incredibly passionate about, and we’re proud to be working with HSBC to harness a powerful, global voice as a valuable resource and contribution to our cause. Society is an area that many people might not consider when they talk about sustainability, but its impact is huge – that’s why it’s a key pillar of our Food Made Good Standard. Food’s role within family and community life is a wonderful and powerful thing – nothing can bring people together like food does. It’s our responsibility and mission to champion this around the world, and it contributes to our greater cause of sustainability within food. Education and knowledge are paramount in this. A table is a table; whether in a house, on the side of a road, in a restaurant or otherwise, and we want to encourage everyone to have a seat at it, to be inspired and comforted by the power of food – emotionally as well as physically and nutritionally.”
The SRA works in partnership with HSBC to build thought-provoking campaigns that explore sustainability issues around the world. This partnership allows The SRA to incorporate holistic sustainability criteria and messaging across HSBC’s considerable food and drink platform, creating opportunities to have a meaningful impact and effect positive change on a global scale.
Jon Lane, Global Head of Brand Partnerships at HSBC, said: “At HSBC, we believe that food opens up a world of opportunity by bringing people and cultures together. We are proud to support The Sustainable Restaurant Association in its mission to use food to drive connection, and further encourage our understanding of sustainability initiatives for the industry. The Power of Food campaign truly captures the important role which food plays in our lives; both with families and across communities.”
More participants will be announced as the campaigns go live. For more information, please visit: https://thesra.org/
Hashtag: #PowerofFood #sustainablerestaurantassociation #foodmadegood #foodandfamily #foodandcommunity
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About The Sustainable Restaurant Association
Since 2010, The Sustainable Restaurant Association has set the Standard for sustainable food and drink businesses around the world. The SRA connects businesses across the globe to accelerate change toward a hospitality sector that is socially progressive and environmentally restorative through the world’s largest sustainability certification tailored for the sector: Food Made Good.
Designed specifically to support businesses serving food to tackle the urgent and complex problems facing the global hospitality sector and wider food system, Food Made Good consists of three distinct and complementary elements: the Food Made Good Framework, which clearly defines what sustainability means for the sector; the Food Made Good Standard, the only 360-degree, holistic assessment for measuring progress tailored for foodservice businesses; and the Food Made Good Community, an online global network of hospitality professionals sharing challenges, ideas, resources and solutions to fuel progress within the industry.
*Some studies conclude that involving kids in cooking is associated with more positive food choices:
‘Child assessments of vegetable preferences and cooking self-efficacy show predictive validity with targeted diet quality measures’ (2019). Accessed at: https://bmcnutr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40795-019-0286-7. ‘From the pandemic to the pan: the impact of COVID-19 on parental inclusion of children in cooking activities: a cross-continental survey’ (2021). Accessed at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/from-the-pandemic-to-the-pan-the-impact-of-covid19-on-parental-inclusion-of-children-in-cooking-activities-a-crosscontinental-survey/C5B2367EBB3BD7E49052274DCC93A67A
**The SRA’s new global Food Made Good standard launched on 12th June and is the only global sustainability accreditation designed specifically for the hospitality industry. Businesses wishing to begin the journey to sustainability can find out more information viawww.thesra.org. Those ready to sign up should visit standard.foodmadegood.org.