Rethinking Food & Hospitality

In 2012, Peggy opened Grassroots Pantry (GP) in Hong Kong with a mission to raise awareness of the inequities in our food system and to share knowledge on the benefits of whole food plant-based cuisine. Through conducting Zero Foodprint’s life-cycle assessment, GP became carbon neutral in 2018 and its first sustainability report was recognized by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ESCAP as a best practice case study on sustainable sourcing and responsible management.

Over the years Peggy has emerged as one of the region’s most authoritative voices on organic sourcing and systems thinking design. In 2020, Peggy developed Grassroots Initiatives Consultancy to assist foodservice professionals in their transition towards best practices that meet both human and planetary health goals. Last year, she launched Zero Foodprint Asia to rapidly mobilize research, education and funding from the food and hospitality sector for agricultural climate solutions.

My Sustainability Goals for 2023:

Less talking, less greenwashing. Real action, real changes.

Janice Leung Hayes is a food writer, producer and sustainability advocate based in Hong Kong. Her written work has appeared in publications such as Monocle, South China Morning Post, and The New York Times. When not writing, she consults on strategy and communications in sustainability through activations such as food and farmers markets. She is also the co-founder and lead producer of multimedia agency Capsule48.