Starbucks, Global FoodBanking Network Join Forces to Fight Hunger and Cut Food Waste in the Philippines and Beyond

Starbucks Coffee Company has announced a transformative partnership with The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) to address two of the world’s most urgent issues: food insecurity and food waste.

Starbucks is expanding support for food banks across Southeast Asia—including right here in the Philippines. I Photo: Starbucks

This global collaboration, backed by a significant grant to GFN, will scale up food bank capacity in six key Southeast Asian markets—including the Philippines, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam—with the goal of enhancing hunger relief, increasing food rescue, and minimizing environmental harm.

The partnership’s announcement comes as Starbucks commemorates the 15th anniversary of its annual “Month of Good” this April 2025.

As part of this global month of volunteerism, Starbucks is mobilizing employees in up to 50 markets to lend their time to local food rescue and hunger relief organizations. Complementing these efforts is the company’s pledge to donate 7 million meals through GFN—a move that reinforces the power of private-sector collaboration in the fight against food insecurity.

“At a time when addressing global hunger is facing so many challenges, this partnership can serve as a model for corporate collaboration with food banks,” said Lisa Moon, President and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network. “Starbucks' support will accelerate food bank growth and efficiency, allowing them to recover more food, deliver it to people in need, and protect our planet.”

This partnership is grounded in a shared ethos: nourishing communities, fighting waste, and building resilience within local food systems.

With more than 40 million people served globally by GFN-affiliated food banks in 2023, and an ambitious target to reach 50 million annually by 2030, the organization’s scale and impact are poised for a significant leap forward.

A Global Legacy Meets a Local Mission

In the Philippines, where Starbucks opened its first store in 1997 and quickly became a beloved brand, the partnership marks a homecoming of sorts. The country’s strong culture of hospitality, community, and coffee connection makes it a fertile ground for food rescue innovations.

Since 2022, Starbucks Philippines has been supporting local food banks, often operating under challenging conditions, these organizations now stand to benefit from capacity-building support that could dramatically improve their respective reach and efficiency.

This initiative builds upon Starbucks’ proven track record in food rescue. Since launching its FoodShare program in 2016 across the U.S. and Canada, the company has rescued over 63 million meals and diverted more than 75 million pounds of food from landfills.

“Through our FoodShare program, we take an innovative approach to reduce food waste and support hunger relief by donating surplus food from our coffeehouses to local food banks,” said Kelly Goodejohn, Starbucks Chief Social Impact Officer. “From all of our year-round efforts, we aim to strengthen local food banks and help ensure everyone has access to nourishing food.”

In 2024, Starbucks further reinforced its food waste agenda by joining the U.S. Food Waste Pact, aligning with industry leaders to halve food waste in its U.S. operations by 2030.

A Blueprint for Business-Led Social Change

The Starbucks-GFN alliance serves as a compelling blueprint for how multinational companies can leverage their scale and logistics expertise to address structural social and environmental issues.

Beyond just the donation of meals, the partnership focuses on systemic change—from building infrastructure to streamlining logistics and empowering communities through volunteerism.

At its core, the collaboration exemplifies how values-driven business can act as a force for good, particularly in regions where food insecurity and resource scarcity are daily realities.

It also signals a rising expectation for companies to go beyond traditional corporate social responsibility, embedding purpose into the heart of their operations.

For the Philippines and other participating countries, this isn’t just a partnership—it’s a lifeline.

It’s about ensuring no meal goes to waste while no family goes hungry. And for Starbucks, it’s another chapter in its enduring mission to give more than it takes from the communities it serves.