IHG Hotels & Resorts has partnered with VietHarvest for a twofold purpose – to provide food to communities most in need in Vietnam using the surplus food from its hotels, and in doing so, prevent food wastage, as well as educate the communities on food security and sustainability.
Committing 15 of its hotels in the country, with another 22 in the pipeline, IHG will support VietHarvest’s Food Rescue programme via a charity network starting in the Hanoi area.
IHG has also pledged funds to enable VietHarvest to expand logistics and operational support in Hanoi, scale up food rescue and its charitable operations, and enable it to deliver more than 10,000 meals to underserved communities.
This working relationship is an extension of an ongoing partnership between IHG and OzHarvest in Australia which was formed in 2019.
Jimmy Pham, co-founder, VietHarvest, said: “Our mission at VietHarvest is to reduce food waste and hunger and we need partners such as IHG to embark on this journey with us. Our approach is unique in Vietnam, providing businesses with a solution to divert waste from landfill, reduce carbon emissions and tackle social challenges.
“We believe that through strong partnerships, we can minimise the social and environmental impact of food waste and build awareness of this important topic.”
Rajit Sukumaran, managing director, IHG Hotels & Resorts, South East Asia and Korea, commented: “Our new partnership with VietHarvest will help us in two important areas – improving the lives of 30 million people in our communities around the world, and transforming to a minimal-waste hospitality industry.”
IHG’s Hanoi-based hotels – InterContinental Hanoi Westlake and InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 – are already actively involved and supporting VietHarvest.
