Following World Environment Day, the KFC Foundation Thailand is taking the opportunity to spotlight one of its ongoing sustainability initiatives, KFC Harvest. As conversations around environmental sustainability continue,
food waste remains a growing concern around the world. Every day, large amounts of food are discarded, while many individuals and families still struggle to put enough food on the table. Through KFC Harvest, the KFC Foundation is helping address both challenges by finding meaningful ways to support communities while caring for the planet.
Created with the goal of reducing food waste while helping local communities, KFC Harvest was built around a simple idea: “No Waste. No Hunger.” The project began with something happening behind the scenes at KFC restaurants every day. Once fried chicken passes its holding time, it can no longer be sold, even though it’s still fresh, safe, and just as good as the moment it came out of the fryer. Rather than letting it go to waste, the project gives these pieces of chicken a second chance to do some good. Safely stored and frozen before being turned into nutritious meals for people in need. The chicken becomes “Kai Nong,” a made-up bit of slang for “chicken for the kids” that KFC team members used when preparing these chicken for the children in local communities. And soon the communities receiving these meals were calling it “Kai Nong” too.
Beyond helping provide meals for communities, KFC Harvest also contributes to reducing environmental impact. Over the past six years, the project has delivered more than 2 million meals to communities across Thailand—each one a small reminder that no one should have to go hungry while good food goes to waste. By reducing food waste, it has also helped lower carbon emissions equivalent to planting more than 15,000 trees. Today, more than 500 KFC restaurants participate in sharing Kai Nong, with plans to expand to 600 locations by 2027, bringing this same warmth to even more communities. Beyond the numbers, each meal shared represents another opportunity to turn surplus food into something meaningful—reflecting the belief that food should never go to waste when it can still make a real difference in someone’s life.
Behind every meal shared through KFC Harvest is something even bigger than the meal itself, a community of people who care. Franchise Partners, the Scholars of Sustenance Foundation (SOS Foundation), local communities, and many others all play a part, working together consistently to make sure surplus food finds its way to those who need it most. Together, they show how a shared commitment to helping others can create something far greater than any one person could achieve alone.
Because caring for the planet has never just been about the environment. It is also about caring for the people who live on it. The KFC Foundation remains committed to growing KFC Harvest and carrying its “No Waste. No Hunger.” mission forward for years to come. After all, some of the most meaningful changes might just begin by turning surplus food into opportunities that benefit both people and the planet together.
For updates on KFC Harvest and other initiatives from the KFC Foundation, please follow the KFC Foundation TH Facebook Page.
