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Overview
Overview
Hong Kong faces mounting land pressure from real estate development and an urgent need to strengthen food security. With minimal government support for agricultural progress and worsening soil degradation, Zero Foodprint Asia is helping farmers shift to regenerative farming. By providing financial aid and expert guidance through local specialists, ZFPA supports the restoration of soil health and the production of nutrient-rich crops.
Since 2022, Zero Foodprint Asia’s Restore Fund projects have reduced the financial risks of transitioning by funding farms as they trial and expand climate-smart practices. This support enables farmers to grow healthier crops, enhance biodiversity above and below ground, and promote microbial activity for carbon capture. Changes in soil and plant health are monitored through regular testing and share the outcomes and stories on our website.
Awareness of how land use affects our food system remains limited among both the general public and the food industry. ZFPA collaborates with restaurants, hotels, and other organizations to rebuild Hong Kong’s local food system—starting with healthy soil and nutritious food. Through these partnerships, we aim to promote food literacy and make regenerative consumer choices accessible and practical for everyone.
Key actors
Key actors
Hong Kong Smallholder Farms (Eva’s Farm, Noah’s Forest, Cham Shan Farm, Sangwoodgoon, Organic Formula, & Grow Something)
Homeland Green (Our locally appointed soil experts)
1% for the Planet (Supporter)
CUHK (soil test)
Beneficiaries – local consumers and restaurants
Alignment with the EAT-Lancet Commission
Alignment with the EAT-Lancet Commission
ZFPA’s mission aligns with the EAT-Lancet Commission’s values on sustainable food production and responsible land use. By restoring carbon sinks, we are actively building a resilient food system that is both economically sustainable and operationally practical. In collaboration with soil experts, technical advisors, and a local university, we conduct regular testing of soil and plant health.
Our KPIs include Soil Organic Carbon, soil aggregation, soil respiration, plant chlorophyll levels, Brix levels, CO₂ emission rates, and more. Farms have seen a steady increase in SOC content, with some farms reaching above 10% (agricultural soil in Southeast Asia has less than 2%). Crops from transitioning farms also see higher Brix levels above 10 which makes them more resilient to pest and disease infestation. These scientifically grounded metrics enhance the credibility of our work, and the consistent upward trends across these indicators clearly demonstrate improvements in both soil and plant health.
10.7 acres in transition
66 Farmers involved
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
By monitoring farms throughout the project using various soil and crop tests, we’ve observed significant improvements in soil health—resulting in healthier crops and increased nutritional value. While these outcomes have exceeded our expectations at ZFPA, they’ve also provided strong encouragement and validation for our partner farmers, motivating them to stay committed to the journey of regeneration.
Next steps
Next steps
To collaborate with local universities to raise public awareness about the nutritional benefits of regenerative produce, supported by scientific research and data
Engaging with more farms to increase the accessibility of regenerative produce
We aim to engage more restaurant and hotel partners to help crowdfund regenerative farming projects across the region, fostering a collective approach to agricultural restoration. In addition, we connect these partners directly with farmers to strengthen storytelling efforts and educate consumers on the value of regenerative food systems.
For more information contact: Peggy Chan at peggy@zerofoodprintasia.org
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