Expanding our Impact: A New Chapter for Regenerative Agriculture in Malaysia
We are proud to announce our latest project, Mobilizing the Hospitality Industry on Soil Regeneration in Malaysia. This 18-month pilot aims to transition ~30 acres of fruit or vegetable farms, while building a replicable model to scale regenerative agriculture across the region.
This initiative, a partnership with the Aspen Impact Foundation (AIF) and soil science experts SHE™ Intelligence, adapts our 1% Pledge model for Malaysia. With donations collected from 1% pledges by Hyatt Hotels in Hong Kong and matched by AIF, the project will recruit a new cohort of participating restaurants in Malaysia. These restaurants will contribute 1% of selected revenue to directly finance local farmer transitions and soil health projects.
This expansion builds on four years of demonstrated impact across Asia. To date, ZFPA has channelled HKD 8.35 million through 130+ restaurants and F&B operators to fund 33 regenerative projects, transitioning 100,604 acres of farmland expected to sequester 35,044 tonnes of CO₂.
Malaysia's agricultural sector faces the dual challenges of climate change and soil degradation. Farmers often lack access to the capital and knowledge needed to transition to more resilient, regenerative practices, while being isolated from markets that value climate-smart production.
Malaysia is currently experiencing increasing topsoil loss, declining Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), and heightened vulnerability to extreme flood–drought cycles. These trends signal a growing need for regenerative systems capable of rebuilding soil function while improving climate resilience.
The Restore Fund bridges this gap by creating direct funding streams from the food service industry to farmers, building economic resilience while closing the knowledge gap in regenerative practices.
The programme also includes measurable improvements in soil health, such as SOC increase, lower soil bulk density, and reduced dependency on synthetic inputs.
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Why this matters now
We are recruiting food and beverage partners across Malaysia to help scale this critical work. By joining the 1% Pledge program, your restaurant directly finances the transition of the first 30 acres and future farmer cohorts in Malaysia, strengthening local climate resilience and creating a transparent supply chain for climate-smart produce.
