A bold idea from Indonesia took center stage at Aboitiz Foods’ The Mill 2025 awarding ceremony, highlighting the company’s deeply rooted culture of innovation and teamwork to sustainably feed Asia’s growth from mill to meal.
The Mill—short for The Million Dollar Idea—draws inspiration from Aboitiz Foods’ integrated food value chain, where transformation begins at the mill. It was created as an employee-driven innovation platform that empowers team members to elevate processes, reimagine workflows, and solve operational challenges across its businesses.
This year, over 108 entries were submitted from teams across the region, demonstrating how deeply innovation is embraced across Aboitiz Foods’ operations. The ideas spanned nutrition, supply chain, feed formulation, sustainability, and emerging technologies—all reflecting a thoughtful commitment to doing things #AlwaysBetter.
The finalists presented their ideas during Breakthrough Day at the Aboitiz Foods Singapore office on November 13, 2025, before an esteemed panel of judges composed of executive leaders from the Agribusiness division, led by Eric Nojac, Senior Vice President and Business Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Agribusiness.
“From concepts that enhance product quality to ideas that open new income streams and markets, your submissions show how innovation directly contributes to our growth at Aboitiz Foods,” said Mr Nojac.
“Let’s continue this momentum. Keep asking questions, exploring new possibilities, and finding ways to create meaningful impact — from the smallest improvement to the next breakthrough product. Together, we are shaping a future defined by innovation, purpose, and shared success.”
Driving impact beyond operations
The winning team of four from Gold Coin Indonesia emerged at the top of the innovation challenge, with their idea focusing on efficiency, sustainability, and traceability throughout the integrated value chain.
Their proposal focused on improving broiler performance by replacing high-cost raw materials with ingredients derived directly – minimizing operational costs while maximizing profitability.
For the team, the challenge was also an opportunity to combine scientific knowledge with field experience to address real customer needs.
“In R&D, we are trained to always look for ways to improve our products while balancing performance and profit. That mindset pushes us to innovate,” said Rifki Putra Adimulia, Aboitiz Foods’ Nutrition and Research Assistant Manager for Agribusiness – Indonesia and member of the winning team.
“We’re grateful that Aboitiz Foods gives us a platform to bring these ideas forward and turn them into real impact for the company.”
The second-place winner of the challenge addressed the use of leftover snacks and food waste from food chains as an alternative source for animal feeds, resulting in cost savings.
Meanwhile, the third-place winner discussed repurposing rice husk ash into silica that can absorb moisture from the air, keeping products dry and protected from damage.
Yasmin Firdaus, Aboitiz Foods’ Mill Nutritionist and a member of both the first-placer and second-placer teams, added, “Innovation is important because it helps us solve problems in smarter and more efficient ways. If we keep using the same method for different challenges, we won’t grow. Innovation pushes us to improve, stay competitive, and that’s how we grow as individuals, teams, and as a company.”
While details of the winning concepts remain confidential, the proposals offered scalable solutions that strengthen both operational resilience and environmental responsibility. It is expected to support more resource-efficient production, reduce waste, and improve reliability within the food and agriculture ecosystem.
Aboitiz Foods’ Agribusiness executives, led by Business CEO Eric Nojac (third from the left), recognized the team from Gold Coin Indonesia (center) for its innovative proposal to optimize liver function to boost broiler performance, which minimizes operational costs while maximizing profitability.
Strengthening a regional footprint
With the Asia Pacific region poised for continued agrifood growth, the cross-country collaboration demonstrated through The Mill reflects Aboitiz Foods’ culture of openness, shared learning, and its brand attribute of ‘looking ahead to serve you better’.
By investing in talent, capability-building, and innovation programs, the company empowers teams to solve problems proactively and strengthen the food value chain for customers, partners, and communities.
Operating across eight Asian markets, Aboitiz Foods recognizes that innovation is essential to building a more sustainable and future-ready agrifood landscape. The Mill-ion Dollar Idea stands as a clear example of this commitment—advancing innovation, fostering teamwork, and enabling its people to deliver better outcomes from mill to meal.