In a bustling city like Hong Kong, food waste has always been a major issue. But what if these discards could be turned into something beneficial? Maxim's Group has launched its groundbreaking "WeGen Farming" initiative, a project that transforms unconsumed food waste into agricultural enzymes to produce pesticide-free crops. Here's how they are achieving this goal and what it means for the local dining industry.
Reviving Food Waste to Grow Health
WeGen farming emerged as the Group’s vision of sustainability through "We" and "Regenerative (farming)". Since 2022, Maxim's Group has partnered with Hung Yat Farm in a pilot project, collecting pre-consumption food waste from Maxim's Group, including mango peels, soybean residue, coffee grounds, and eggshells, and converting them into enzymes used to enrich soil nutrition and prevent pests, producing zero-pesticide and zero-fertilizer agricultural products.
The amount of food waste supplied by Maxim's Group to Hung Yat Farm has been doubling annually since 2022, with an expected reach of 30 metric tons this year. With the increase in food waste and space, Hung Yat Farm can grow a wider variety of crops, including cherry tomatoes, salad greens, zucchini, cucumbers, beets, pumpkins, and bitter melons.
Mr. Wong Chin Ming, owner of the Hung Yat Farm, added that before the collaboration, the concept of regenerative farming was not well-known in the community, which hindered its development. Fortunately, with the support from Maxim's Group, which shares the farm’s vision by purchasing its harvest, the area under cultivation has expanded from approximately 40,000 square feet in 2022 to around 70,000 square feet in 2024. This expansion allows the farm to grow more WeGen crops with a more reliable supply of high-quality produce.
"Through this collaboration, I hope regenerative farming can continue to develop and transform the conventional farming practices in Hong Kong by promoting eco-friendly farming methods that use zero pesticides and zero chemical fertilizers, hence yielding high-quality farm produce." he said.
Sustainable Healthy Dining
Hung Yat Farm follows seasonal rhythms and uses environmentally friendly farming methods, which not only protect soil and water but also maintain the biodiversity of the farmland. Maxim's Group incorporates fresh produce from regenerative farming into its dishes, presenting customers with the natural nutrition and flavors of the ingredients while reducing carbon emissions generated during production and transportation.
Mr. Pippo Au, Head of Supply Chain of Maxim's Group, said that food waste is always a matter of widespread community concern and that Maxim’s Group is committed to integrating circular economy strategies into its business operations, creating a mutually beneficial situation with supply chain partners.
"We work very closely with Hung Yat Farm, conducting rounds of tests and trials on the types of food waste collected for use on the farm and accessing changes in crop flavours. Together, we overcome challenges in logistics and weather to ensure that the quality and quantity of the crops meet the Group's procurement requirements. Our ultimate goal is for the farm produce to meet the market’s and customers’ expectations for sustainable development and healthy dining, while also creating business opportunities through the circular economy."
Support from Nearly 70 Restaurants Under Maxim's Group
To promote local agricultural products, the group's chefs have continually communicated with the farm regarding the size, taste, and characteristics of the agricultural products to achieve the best flavors. Currently, the public can enjoy a series of dishes featuring these agricultural products at nearly 70 restaurants under Maxim's Group, including The Square, 818 The Seafood, COVA, simplylife, Nakameguro Rooftop, Bibimbap from Obihiro, Fish Spring, Yakiniku Ishidaya, Yakiniku Kagura, Maxim's MX, can.teen, Maxim's Food2, Deli-O, and Starbucks, offering Chinese, Western, and Japanese cuisine.
"We are committed to offering customers a decent and cozy dining experience, which includes healthy and delicious cuisine. The WeGen farming project aligns perfectly well with our operational philosophy. When designing our menus, our primary goal is to deliver the original taste and nutrition of the food ingredients to our customers." said Ms. Candy Tse, Head of m.a.x. Concepts and COVA of Maxim's Group.
Mr. Thomas Fan, Head of Quick Service Restaurants of Maxim's Group, also plans to incorporate WeGen crops into the fast-food menus. "We are exploring ways to create dishes with crops from Hung Yat Farm. Our hope is to continuously offer a diverse range of healthy and value-for-money meals to more customers through our extensive network of fast food chain restaurants."
Encouraging Participation and Community Interaction
Maxim's Group also promotes WeGen farming regenerative agriculture internally and has organized seven farm visits with Hung Yat Farm, inviting over 100 employees from different departments to personally experience the project. They also sell agricultural products from Hung Yat Farm internally to help employees understand the environmental concept of WeGen farming regenerative agriculture, which has received enthusiastic support from colleagues.