Roast chain's 'farmvocacy' program lends support to urban farmers

MANILA, Philippines — There is a certain thrill that hits one every time they enter a Kenny Rogers Roasters store and stand at the counter choosing which among its roast chicken variants to order. All variants are top favorites, and one certainly cannot go wrong with any of their choices.

Enjoying the popular food chain's offerings becomes even more enjoyable and meaningful when it is prepared with compassion and support for others. For instance, if one chose the well-loved Chimichurri Roast, an order means helping Kenny Rogers Roasters support Urban Farmers PH through the restaurant chain’s 3rd Farmvocacy Program.

Rooted on its message “Eat Healthy, Help Greatly,” the program fosters a farm-to-table approach, where every purchase of the restaurant’s selected menu item provides support to local farmers.

Now on its third year, the Farmvocacy Program has selected Kenny Rogers Roasters’ highly patronized Chimichurri Roast, which uses locally sourced ingredients, as the featured dish.

Early this year, customers who ordered the Chimichurri Roast Solo Plate, through dine-in, takeout or delivery, also helped Kenny Rogers support Urban Farmers PH, an organization that nurtures unused public spaces, inviting people to discover that farming is enjoyable, doable, and transferrable.

For every purchase of Chimichurri Roast, a portion of the sales was donated to Urban Farmers PH.  

Through the Farmvocacy Program, the roast chicken restaurant chain has accumulated a total of P300,000. The proceeds donated to Urban Farmers PH were used to support the Taguig Integrated School and Barrio Obrero Elementary School, providing essential resources for their plant beds, seedling nurseries, and technical training in urban farming.

Through these initiatives, Urban Farmers PH is instilling the value and appreciation for agriculture among young urban dwellers while at the same time fostering healthy eating.

This support aims to further strengthen the momentum of urban farming in the Philippines. Even with challenges like limited space and access to resources, the program helped make urban farming in the country thrive, offering a promising means for sustainable urban development and