This F&B firm's CSR outreach stretches all the way to Nepal and Kenya

Singapore-listed food and beverage manufacturing company Food Empire is best known for its instant beverage brands such as MacCoffee and Café PHO, which are household names in countries such as Russia, Ukraine and Vietnam.

Although its products, which range from instant beverage mixes to frozen food products, are not retailed in Singapore, Food Empire believes in keeping an active corporate social responsibility (CSR) presence in the Republic and creating meaningful impact on the local community.

For more than 10 years, the company has been contributing its instant beverage products to weekly food rations for underprivileged families in Marine Parade constituency. Over the past two years, Food Empire has also distributed its instant coffee and tea mixes to healthcare workers and nurses in vaccination centres and private clinics.

In 2020, the company supported the Give A Line, Change a Life initiative by the Industrial & Services Co-operative Society, which helps former offenders reintegrate into the community by providing them with smartphones to help them reconnect with families and friends. Other causes that Food Empire supports include education and sport-related events, and charity functions for the elderly.

About 10 per cent of the company's annual revenue is spent on marketing and promotional initiatives, where CSR falls under.

Food Empire's founder and executive chairman Tan Wang Cheow says: "Supporting local causes is a way of showing how our Singapore-based headquarters spearheads CSR initiatives - in the hope that our overseas offices will do the same, even though the bulk of our revenue is generated overseas. What we are doing comes from the company's heart for the local community as it doesn't cost much to bring a smile to those in need."

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For its efforts, Food Empire is an Honouree in the Brands for Good 2021/2022 awards, under the Business for Good category.

Food Empire's CSR outreach extends beyond Singapore's shores

It supports charitable causes in about 10 developing countries where the company has a presence. Some examples of such activities, which are organised with non-governmental organisations and local partners, include supporting sustainability-related events in Uzbekistan and donating food products to underprivileged families and children in Mongolia, Nepal and Kenya.

The company's CSR initiatives have expanded in tandem with its growth.

It started as a computer parts trading company in 1983. From the early to mid-90s, it started transitioning into a food and beverage production company. Today, Food Empire has 23 offices worldwide and operates eight manufacturing facilities in countries such as Malaysia, India, Russia, Ukraine and Vietnam. Its products are exported to over 50 countries including those in Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.

Doing good despite challenging times

Running an international business has been challenging for Food Empire over the past two years as pandemic lockdowns and movement restrictions were implemented in the markets that it operates in. Customers shopped less and its factories were unable to operate at full capacity. This year, the company also had to grapple with increased sea freight costs.

Despite the business challenges, Food Empire is committed to press on with its CSR initiatives in Singapore and globally. Mr Tan says: "Operating in many emerging markets, we have witnessed economic hardships there. Being an F&B brand company, we are reliant on our consumers and want to stand with them in times of hardship - whether there's a pandemic or not."