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<p>KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell are giving their packaging a second life in support of parent company Yum!’s commitment to making its consumer-facing packaging more reusable, recyclable or compostable. As a global restaurant business, being good stewards of the food and natural resources it uses to serve millions of customers daily is no small feat. </p>
<p>Learn how this is not only important to the environment, but also to Yum!'s business, in the latest episode of “Quick Bite,” the series that serves up Yum! news in a matter of minutes.</p>
<p>Agriculture is a keystone for community and environmental health. If we can make it more resilient, we can help address critical challenges facing our natural resources, global food systems and growing population. Every day, my team works to find solutions for our brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill – as our supply chain depends on sustainable food production. </p>
<p>Personally, I’m invested in the topic, having grown up on a wheat farm in Kansas and managed a flour milling operation in Colorado. From there, I worked with policymakers on Capitol Hill and spent time in the U.S., Latin America and Asia employed by a global food company in supply chain and government affairs. It’s been a winding road, but I see a common thread in the need for adaptability, collaboration and a long-term vision. These are certainly things we’re focused on at Yum! and I’ve elaborated more on the topic below. </p>
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<p><b><span style="font-size: 18px;">How </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">Yum</span><span style="font-size: 18px;">! Approaches Sustainable Agriculture</span><i> </i></b></p>
<p>It is a vast concept, and there are a lot of avenues to pursue. You can spend a lot of time turning over every stone, but we’re increasingly focused on what I like to call “big rocks,” areas where we have the most potential to drive the most change based on our capabilities and business needs. We identify big rocks by asking ourselves three questions: </p>
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<li>Does the project have a high material impact on our business? </li>
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<li>Do we understand all the ins and outs of the issue? </li>
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<li>And can we target our efforts and seek to bring benefits to scale? </li>
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<p>The answers help us tackle the root of sustainability challenges and make a real impact rather than spreading our efforts too thin. </p>
<p>Some of the biggest rocks we’ve uncovered are key commodities, which can have a major impact on biodiversity and deforestation. We’re working to make the ones most material to Yum! more sustainable by leaning into projects and regions with the highest potential for impact. </p>
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<p><b><span style="font-size: 18px;">Think Global, Act Local</span><i> </i></b></p>
<p><b><i><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/8192cb91-85b3-4d5b-9122-af2d1e6f3adf/1/soybean-AdobeStock_169688620.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" title="" style="width: 620px; height: 391px; margin: 0px auto; display: block;" /></i><br></b></p>
<p>Agriculture is deeply rooted in local communities and economies. That’s why it’s so important to take an integrated, on-the-ground approach. You can’t talk to a farmer about changing their agricultural practices unless you understand the local economy. Thinking about land conversion, you have to ask, “Why is the farmer converting land in the first place? Why is that a more profitable route?” From my vantage point, this is what a lot of sustainability work is about: truly listening to our stakeholders’ viewpoints and seeking realistic, actionable solutions. </p>
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<p><b><span style="font-size: 18px;">Partnerships Are Critical</span><i> </i></b></p>
<p>It’s hard to move a big rock alone. One project I’m excited about is Taco Bell’s collaboration, launched in 2023, to invest in a more sustainable beef supply chain. Together, we’re working with key suppliers, conservationists and ranchers in supporting habitat restoration and regenerative range management practices across the intermountain west through multiple grants. </p>
<p>Also, Pizza Hut has a partnership with the Dairy Farmers of America to increase feed efficiency and reduce on-farm emissions from the milk used to produce Pizza Hut cheese. The collaboration’s success has inspired Pizza Hut to launch similar pilots with dairy farmers from New Zealand to the United Kingdom. Beef, dairy and chicken are among the highest contributors to Yum!’s Scope 3 emissions, so these partnerships are key to furthering our climate commitments. They also benefit farmers’ businesses while helping them protect local wildlife and ecosystems. </p>
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<p><b><span style="font-size: 18px;">Building Momentum for the Future </span></b> </p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/8192cb91-85b3-4d5b-9122-af2d1e6f3adf/2/beef+cow-AdobeStock_354270649.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" title="" style="width: 620px; height: 414px; margin: 0px auto; display: block;" /></p>
<p>I think we can make the most progress by doubling down on a collaborative, holistic approach while further integrating the work into our business. Externally this means focusing on both our suppliers and consumers, asking how we can encourage sustainable behaviors and best meet their needs. It also means diversifying our supply chains to make them more resilient and engaging in more cross-sector pilots and initiatives. </p>
<p>Internally we continue to build up sustainability capabilities that are core to our supply chain. For example, all the steps I’ve described require data collection and analysis to help us stay clear-eyed about our performance and make informed decisions about what’s next. I’m proud of how far we’ve come and motivated to keep doing more. It’s a big mountain to climb, but we’re gaining ground with every step. </p>
<p>KFC’s iconic fried chicken recipe, made from a blend of 11 herbs and spices, is over 75 years old. Its first franchised restaurant opened in 1952. In that time, what started as one location has grown to 32,000 restaurants in over 150 countries and territories, led by executives with impressive educational pedigrees and decades of experience.</p>
<p>But recently, six young women took over executive roles at the brand. In the United States, 20-year-old Pear took the role of KFC Global chief development officer for the day, mentored by current CDO Nivera Wallani, and KFC Global Chief People & Culture Officer Megan Verret stepped aside for Shirlyn, 19. In Thailand, Sunisa, Jiraporn, Nadtanaht and Aliya took on similar roles.</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/31ea210a-edac-4923-b872-ee73b6819a97/1/thumbnail_IMG_3179.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" title="" style="width: 620px; height: 414px; margin: 0px auto; display: block;" /></p>
<p><i><span style="font-size: 14px;">Aliya</span><span style="font-size: 14px;"> walks and talks with </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">KFC</span><span style="font-size: 14px;"> Thailand Social Purpose & Foundation Lead </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">Janett</span><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">Rungsithikul</span><span style="font-size: 14px;">.</span></i></p>
<p>“I was a little shocked when my nameplate had been changed,” Wallani said.</p>
<p>The CDO is joking, as the changes were all part of an activation in partnership with Plan International, a nonprofit whose partnership with KFC focuses on increasing access to skill building and career opportunities for young women. One of Plan's initiatives is to execute “Girls Takeovers,” in which participants become executives for the day, leading meetings, providing input and truly embodying their new roles.</p>
<p>“They were the real deal,” Yum! Chief Culture, Opportunity & Belonging Officer James Fripp said of the young women, adding that he learned as much – if not more – from them as they did from him.</p>
<p>Here are additional lessons from the takeover.</p>
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<p>“When you’re interviewing with leaders, don’t think that you’re below them. View them as equals. You will learn as much from them as they will from you,” Shirlyn said of what she learned from Verret.</p>
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<p>“I told Shirlyn, do not be afraid to raise your hand and say what you want. I read a study that said ‘66% of female CEOs didn’t know they could be CEO beforehand.’ Know that you do belong in that role,” Verret said.</p>
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<p>“KFC Global Division CEO Scott Mezvinsky said that he had worked in different positions and different countries throughout his career, which helped him learn how to adapt to different environments, but he still suffered from Imposter Syndrome. <i>Am I capable of doing this?</i> Sometimes we doubt ourselves. For me, sometimes I wonder if I’m too young, but I should just trust that I’m in the role for a reason,” Pear said.</p>
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<p>“Pear talked about finding your personal genius, which is a way to think about our leadership philosophy at KFC, which is ‘Smart, Heart and Courage.’ Your personal genius is your smart, so consider the competency set that you have and combine it with your passion. When you put those two things together, you create something so powerful,” Wallani said.</p>
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<p>While the Girls Takeover at KFC has come to an end, the brand continues to create lasting community impact through its Feeding People's Potential strategy by increasing access to upskilling and vocational development opportunities for the next generation of leaders around the world.</p>
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