PETALING JAYA: KFC Malaysia has announced the expansion of its ongoing involvement in The Harvest Project, which sees the brand purpose surplus food into resources for local underserved communities.
The expansion will eventually see participation from a total of 80 stores this year, up from an initial 30 stores.
This initiative, which was established in 1992 with the goal of diverting surplus food to communities in need, will now see the participation of two partners — Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) and The Lost Food Project (TFLP).
KFC's collaboration with KSK extends back to 2019 when surplus food was distributed from 30 selected Klang Valley restaurants. On Dec 31, 2023, the partnership recorded a total donation of 6,547kg of food via the Harvest e-log system.
In September, the programme was relaunched with 54 restaurants selected for the first phase of the expansion, which includes outlets outside the Klang Valley, such as KFC Nilai Square, KFC Aeon Tebrau City and KFC Mid Valley Southkey.
With the help of KSK and TFLP, these restaurants ensured regular donations were made in a safe and timely manner. A single month's collection allowed KFC Malaysia to direct almost 600kg of unsold surplus food — the equivalent of 1,700 snack plates — to 18 charity homes.
The programme also aligns with KFC Add Hope's commitment to supporting underprivileged communities and reducing food waste.
KFC Add Hope, launched in 2007, has so far contributed over RM32 million towards initiatives to eradicate hunger through its three key pillars—feeding programmes, education and community support.
To meet its goals, KFC Malaysia has targeted 80 of its outlets to participate in this programme this year, with a quota set for each restaurant to donate at least once a month.
"We remain steadfast in our commitment to meet this target and amplify our impact with the support from our dedicated team at the selected KFC outlets. We aim to triple the surplus food collected by the end of this year, which will be the equivalent of 5,100 snack plates," said QSR Brands chief executive officer and managing director Nehchal Khanna.
"The long-term vision is to expand this programme to all KFC outlets, where possible and within the geographical reach of our partners. We are also open to partnering with more organisations to further extend our outreach, ensuring that more surplus food reaches those who need it, providing them with important building blocks," he added.
Speaking on the partnership, KSK society marketing director, Justin Cheah, said: "KFC Malaysia and QSR Brands have been on this food rescue journey with us for a long time. KFC's food has always been very welcome, especially by the children receiving our assistance, and this expansion by KFC is a testament to the fact that the brand is truly committed to the cause. It reflects that it cares for the communities it operates in."
TLFP general manager Daniel Davidson also added: "KFC is one of our dedicated partners in this shared cause. The surplus food from their participating stores has the potential to make a real difference by feeding so many communities in need.
"We are excited to be working alongside them in this important initiative, and together, we can make an even bigger impact."