KNOWN FOR
Promoting urban farming and sustainable living in Hong Kong through urban farm setups and farming workshops.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Rooftop Republic is a social enterprise aiming to achieve a more sustainable food eco-system through urban farming. Through urban farm set up, design, management and education, they aim to transform the relationship people have with their food in many of the most densely populated cities, including Hong Kong and China.
Their mission revolves around the potential of urban farming as an instrument of change, transforming not just the way we produce and consume food but transforming community livelihoods.
Rooftop Republic has been recognised by the Hong Kong SAR Government with “The Outstanding Social Enterprise (Meritorious) Award” and “Outstanding Innovation Award” at the Social Enterprise Awards 2017, and is an awardee of the DBS Social Enterprise Grant 2018.
WHY THEY’RE CONSCIOUS
At Rooftop Republic, they are enthusiastic about the potential for urban farming to transform both urban spaces and mindsets in Hong Kong and to contribute to making their city more sustainable and liveable.
WHAT’S THEIR FIGHTÂ
INNOVATION FOR GOOD: Their innovative approach and end-to-end services – from design, installation to maintenance and community engagement – aims to transform city spaces into healthy, productive urban farms.
WELL-FOR-THE-BEING: Rooftop Republic Urban Farming aims to create greener cities, more edible landscapes and empower city dwellers to grow our own food. 61 farms have been installed on + 68,000 square feet.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE: Donated enough vegetables to supply +2,400 meals for local food banks.
ABOUT THE FOUNDERSÂ
Pol Fàbrega, Co-Founder
Originally from Barcelona, Pol started his career in the nonprofit sector working on a wide range of issues, from human trafficking and education to human rights. In 2012, he relocated to Hong Kong, where he has been pioneering the urban farming movement and working to help transform the way we grow, consume and think about food. Pol is an awardee of Hong Kong Tatler’s Generation T 2018 List and The Green Is The New Black 2018 Green Warriors.
Michelle Hong, Co-Founder
Michelle is a city kid born and raised in Singapore and found out the hard truths of our food system after having pursued growing her own food after moving to Hong Kong. Coming from a background of communications and advertising, she now channels her time and energy towards promoting the urban farming movement, encouraging people to start growing their own food and to nurture a generation of consumers connected with their food sources and local producers. She has been living in Hong Kong for 10 years and now calls both cities home.
Andrew Tsui, Co-Founder
Andrew is a social entrepreneur and an urban farmer following his previous roles in both the public and private sector before he began his social entrepreneurship journey.
Having grown up in both Hong Kong and Singapore which are highly urbanised and heavily reliant on imported food, and with his background in real estate and civil engineering, he realised the potential of urban spaces in Hong Kong to make a difference in the relationship people had with their food and co-founded the social enterprise Rooftop Republic in 2015.