AT least 30 percent of their main dishes and meal options must be plant-based to obtain a “green” certification proving ecological sustainability. This was the new standard set last July by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) for hospitality establishments and restaurants.
The Philippines’ hotel and hospitality groups are “gaining momentum” in this area, says its report, “moving from general sustainability statements to measurable menu targets with clear deadlines.”
The report cites a few examples: Eco-Hotels (30 percent in 2025); The Ascott Ltd. (30 percent in 2025, then projected to rise to 40 percent in 2027); IHG Hotels and Resorts (30 percent across five major properties from 2025 to 2027); and Winford Resort and Casino Manila (30 percent by 2026).
These initiatives find a welcome market as Filipino consumers are increasingly veering toward a plant-based diet. According to a national consumer survey conducted by leading APAC consumer research agency GMO Research, 85 percent of respondents believe that restaurants, hotels and retailers should serve more plant-based foods. About 80 percent said they are more likely to patronize businesses that set policy goals to increase the amount of plant-based foods they serve.
To the uninitiated, plant-based foods encompass a diverse range of products derived primarily from plant sources, including but not limited to the following: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes and beans. Also covered are alternative protein sources like plant-based meat, eggs and dairy products. When it comes to minor ingredients commonly used for seasoning, garnish, processing, or flavoring, food items containing up to 2-percent animal-derived ingredients by total composition may be classified as plant-based.
In an interview with The Manila Times, Marielle Lagulay, Lever Foundation’s sustainability program manager, said that the GSTC ruling would provide Filipino hotels and restaurants “a new perspective on how to integrate sustainability within their food and beverage operations. During the last two years, food has become central and is now embedded in a global framework.” The NGO supports companies in the Philippines and across Asia on sustainable food sourcing.
Menu improvement
Lagulay pointed out another business benefit of the hotels’ increase in plant-based food in their menu: the decrease in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), caused by a reduction in protein production, can help these establishments reach their sustainability goals. According to a Lever report, replacing every kilogram of animal protein with plant-based protein results in the prevention of 110 kg CO2 equivalent of GHG; 400 square meters of land are preserved and 55,000 liters of water are conserved.
“Plant-based proteins emit significantly lower amounts of GHG,” said Lagulay. “Hotels usually report this by the end of the year.”
Lever’s Plant-based Food Program improves current practices. First, it starts with a “baseline assessment of the hotel’s offerings,” Lagulay said. “Then we identify dishes that could be modified, assess potential areas of the menu where plant-based options could be naturally integrated, then check how these could affect the sales of the overall product.”
Contrary to the fears of many F&B practitioners, immediate removal of their popular meat dishes is not on the list of changes. Lagulay said that their recommended menu changes are customized according to the restaurant’s unique history, design and culinary offerings. For Filipino-themed restaurants, the emphasis would be on “ingredient substitution or natural introduction of plant-based dishes using the ingredients they already use, like mushrooms, tofu and coconut.”
For restaurants that lean on serving beef, pork and chicken, Lever’s advice would be “small integration or minimal introductions of plant-based dishes in the form of side dishes or desserts that can be paired with their heavily meat-centered main courses.”
Although not a regulatory or accreditation organization, Lever monitors the progress of the program with their clients. “We’re not policing them, just consulting with them quarterly to see if they’re hitting their goals,” said Lagulay.