We are far less in control of what we eat and the choices we make about food on our plate than we think. So, at the end of the day, we are upholding a food system that is enjoying subsidies and that is not paying for the true external cost the full cost of the supply chain. What is the true cost of me? The reality of the situation is that less than 5% of all meet on the planet. That is consumed is organic or grass-fed, or wild, or pasture-fed or whatever, welcome back to the purpose, affect the podcast, about Purpose Driven businesses. And what we can learn about solving some of the world's biggest problems from the woman who are solving them, I am Elena Kersey, and I am on a mission to Learn how we can, build better work, stronger communities, a healthier Planet. If you believe there's a better world out there waiting for us, then this podcast is for you.
To kick off this season. I have a very special episode because will Cheshire the host of talking Solutions has agreed to co-host this episode with me, and I am super excited to have you here. So, thank you, will for doing this with.
Me. Thanks for having me on Elena, I am excited as well as should be a really good conversation.
I really enjoyed being on your podcast last year will. And if you haven't listened to talking Solutions, it's a great podcast with conversations with entrepreneurs and thought leaders who are solving some of the world's biggest social environmental problems. Definitely check it out. But since we did that episode together, will I have been looking for a way for us to collaborate together again and I think we found it in this conversation, we are talking to sonali figueres, the founder and editor-in-chief of green. Queen green, Queen is a media publication based out of Hong Kong, which focuses on climate issues and advocates for social and environmental change. Inch sonali has really been a force in shaping and spotlighting this conversation certainly an Asia for the last 12 years but also globally and green Queen is a really trusted voice when it comes to reporting on climate news. But I think we're green, Queen has really focused recently is on the impact that food has and the way we eat has on the climate and this is what will, and I are talking to sonali about today, this Ocean is really, for the many of us who don't realize how big of an impact. The way we eat has on the climate and it's also for those of us who would like to learn how we can make more conscious food choices and hopefully if enough of us do that it might have a ripple effect on changing the way food is produced. I have to say the part of the conversation that was really impressed. Upon me is the urgency of Situation. I have the perspective that here in Asia, a lot of the focus is on waste reduction or plastic reduction, or circular business models. And all of the impacts that those have on climate change and less of the impact that food has. And I am interested to know from your perspective being based in the US. And now in Europe, how do you see the ation are people talking about the importance of changing the way we eat and the urgency and changing? The way we eat with the same intensity that they're talking about other parts of the climate.
Problem. Yeah, I mean, I will speak more on the US factor of it and localized version of the u.s. From the Pacific Northwest in the Seattle area, right which, which tends to be a little bit more aware of these types of issues and it's more pressing to them when I think about my friends and the family, Numbers that I know in the u.s. There's nobody. I know that's really a vegetarian, you know, because of the climate and because of the issues that are, that are at hand, I know a few people who are trying to eat less meat specifically, red meat, that's something in the US, but that's a little bit. Contrary to some of my experiences in Europe. I will come across people, and they're like, yeah, yeah, we're vegetarian, it's mainly because of the climate and then also, you know, there are some health reasons behind it as well. So that's one glaring. Difference is just at the individual level. But my anecdotal experience, the people from Europe, tend to be more aware of the impact. Food has.
That's interesting because I wanted to ask you what you thought about, what are the low hanging Solutions? When it comes to changing the way we eat? Because one thing that really came out of the conversation that we had with sonali was one, how divisive the conversation can be how personal it is, how ingrained food. Is in our culture, in our religion, in the way, we gather as communities? So changing that is a big thing because it has a huge impact on lifestyle. So, did you have a sense in the conversation of some immediate changes when you and sonali were talking about regenerative farming? That was when the penny dropped from me? Because the solution is not scalable, and not scalable for a planet of 8 billion. Ian people of whom a large proportion, as they become wealthier, could start consuming more meat. So what are some of the easier to implement solutions that we can all take?
Yeah, well I think one thing you know that we had in the conversation that really stood out was the conversation about being open-minded and something that she alluded to which I thought was a huge a really important point was being open-minded and not judging anybody on their decisions. Speak primarily from an u.s. Perspective where you know the conversation is always more about attacking than it is about like actually moving the needle forward. And then I think from there you can really start to make some progress. Some things that we can do is on a real. Local level is you can just go buy from your local food markets. Instead of going to a big super store, if you will, when the US that we have huge grocery stores. Everybody wants to go shopping like, once a month, twice a month or whatever and just buying bulk, you know, everybody loves Costco. Oh, right. Something that you see in Europe and in other places, as well as people shop more frequently, because the food is more localized, and it's not preserved. It's not shipped in from millions of miles away. So I think that's another step people can take is just make an effort to go to your local farmers market. You know, regenerative farming. As we know it at this stage would be very difficult to scale like that. You know, I could just probably won't work as a solution, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't play a big role, so you should go in too far. MERS markets, get to know the farmers a little bit learn about where this food is come and make a conscious effort of buying local fruits and vegetables. Right? That are in season as well.
Yeah, I mean, the other point that sonali made, which I think is really important. Are we have to understand the way we eat across socio-economic lines, right? Because Presumably, there are some parts of the US where even if you wanted to shop at a local farmers market, you might not be able to access one either because they don't exist in your neighborhood or because they're just not affordable. So in the interests of no judgment also not shaming people for food choices. Particularly at this moment in time, when a lot of parts of everybody's lives are becoming a lot more expensive.
Yeah. Busy. Yeah, expensive and busy. And you know, one thing I think sonali said that really, I think was important to when you have a, a nice of a solution for food sometimes is a nice way to get things off your back. It's difficult to balance all that with work and then food and then care. And, so I think if we can try to free up a little bit more time as well, that would be beneficial to yes and I think that is where the alt meat industry is providing a solution to a specific problem, right? Because we don't need to change the way we eat or the amount of time.
Takes for us to cook with certain ultimate products. They are designed to replicate, you know, a burger or chicken nuggets and still give you that taste and texture. But also the convenience that comes along with it.
Yep. And again, with sonali does and the education that she provides with all these alternative wizard, be cell-based meets plant-based meats and a lot of the different Alternatives that she covers it throughout her Publications. I think it's important that we start to integrate these things because there's a common goal, but there just seems to be a lot of different ways to get there. There. And then the side seemed to be pitted against each other. Instead of facing a common enemy. You know, that enemy of my enemy is my friend or however, the thing. Yeah. It was, you know, so maybe that day. I know. That's its more difficult to say. And there are other reasons that, you know, they don't like one side or the other or anything like that, but I do think if you go with an open mind and you have a conversation with someone, even somebody who might say, oh I am never going to change my ways. I am just going to eat meat because I love me and all that. I think if you treated it and went in with a good Asian, I think you find an understanding and you'd see some compromise between both of the sides and say like this sucks or.
Just try it right? Like yeah. Just try a plant-based burger patty, just try it. You know, can use the same rationale that I use with my kids, when I am trying to get them to try a new food, which is one bite. If you don't like it, you don't have to finish it. You know, just try it. Because I for the first time after our conversation purchased Plant-based minced meat. And I think you and I have had this conversation. My position had always been look. I don't need these alternative meat products. I just won't eat meat. I personally don't eat a huge amount of meat anyway but my, the rest of my family do. And so my position was will just substitute the meat that we're eating with vegetables, more often. We don't need alternatives. But that is only a small solve for our particular family, right? Some people need meat. They want to have a burger every now and then, or they want to be able to go to a friend's barbecue and know that there's going to be something that they can eat at the table. So for all of those people, there needs to be a solution and also for all of the people who need to feed fussy kids, there needs to be a solution. So that was my solution. I bought plant-based. And I substituted half of the meat in The Bolognese with this and everybody ate it. Just like that. Nope. Just like that. Just like that.
Yeah. And I think that's an important step. You don't have to just take a big jump in, you know, you could kind of take that step and kind of move your way into it and I think if you eliminate the stigma behind it as well. Again some of that polarization, you will get people to be a little bit more willing to go out and try it because they're not feeling like they're succumbing, or they're losing or, you know, whatever. When it comes to the climate and sustainability, there's no denying the negative effects of what the factory farming specifically, you know, in the meth Shane that gets produced in all of that kind of goes into that and that is negative, and we have to do it on an individual level. Us as consumers are going to be at. So you know if everybody starts doing that and starts buying less, and less of that meat and you know, companies are going to change think about that. That's one thing fast food companies do well think about how much in the past that they would just do o, we want Coke and Big Macs and super large is next thing, you know, now you go to a McDonalds when you get salads and, you know, all these much healthier options. Now, the kids meals actually have, Your stuff. Why did they do that? Well because consumers demanded they wanted. Hey we love the convenience. We love how quick we can get the food, but we want a healthier option so if we continue to preach that they will adapt, I think the companies will or new ones will pop up to fit the consumer demand.
Yeah, I mean we do vote with our dollars and I believe that there are some fast food chains who are also using plant-based Burgers. So yeah I mean it might seem overwhelming the scale of the problem and how difficult it is to create solutions that can scale, but we can on an individual level make small changes. Yeah. So I wanted to ask. What.
About you after the conversation?
Did you change anything immediately or have you been more conscious about the choice you make? When you're confronted with a menu, for example, or when you're at the supermarket?
Yeah, I went out with a friend a couple weeks ago, and we went to just do a vegetarian restaurant. I had a beyond meat Burger which Some invest in beyond meat stock. So you know I got to show the support that's voting with your dollars. Oh yeah. That's voting with the dollars a little bit there in order to send. Then most importantly, what I have been trying to do, which is easier in Europe, is because of the cultural change and just the way that they approach food is to shopping locally but another thing is that I wanted to go about because I do have the podcast with Solutions, it was just going in with an open mind and then like going to challenge some my friends. So, hey why are you eating? You know, x and x amount of red meat well because you know screw those other people who think that they can take my beat, you know. And this is probably more uniquely us issue. But you know just kind of going in with the constructive criticism approach and just saying like, well actually these have been linked to these bad of diets, you know where you should focus on, you know, going to the Health number one because that's what kind of effects you first and foremost. But in then I think from a sustainability perspective, as well, as I mentioned, I have a lot of friends who are in the Seattle area, they're very much big. Believers in climate change, they We will do a lot of things to try to promote messages that combat it in a healthy way. But like, I told you, I don't know, a single one of them that are vegetarian or are being more conscious about the money meat that they eat. So that's something that I think I will bring up to them. They will obviously be receptive about it.
Well, I think the other thing that I thought was an extremely helpful point in terms of trying to Foster respectful conversation is inviting people around. For a meal and cooking something that is vegetarian or even vegetarian and dairy-free egg-free, you know, everyone can have their position of what they want to eat and their own homes. But if you invite somebody to eat at your table, I think that Fosters a lot of respectful conversation because it's try. It eats this food, it will be delicious.
Yeah, like nobody cares if you just invite people over, don't mention anything to say I am hey, I am making good food. Food. They're going to eat and be like, wow, this is good. And then you say oh it's vegetarian. Oh great. Okay, can I have the recipe? What is it? Yeah. What's the recipe? Let me make it. I think I thought when she said that I was like oh yeah that's such a really good way to break yourself into that conversation and kind of actually open that person up a little bit.
More. So on that note, let us not leave our friends listening in Waiting any longer and let us dive into our conversation with sonali figueres. The founder and editor-in-chief of green Queen a I am that is really leading this conversation about food and its impact on climate change. But before we do, I am going to pour myself a hug in a mug with a cup of tea brewed tea. I love T-bird tea and not just because the packaging is absolutely beautiful. Although it is or because the t is organic and comes in biodegradable tea bags, although it does. But because I love the way T, bertie's founder Ashley cultural uses her business to support. Or other businesses doing, good. Ashley partners with Brands and not-for-profits, doing good for people and Planet because she believes that, this is how you build sustainable businesses and I couldn't agree more. So if you want delicious healthy beautifully, packaged T that makes impact you can get 20% off using the code hug in a mug. 20, I would recommend the earl grey and orange. It's my favorite.
The really big important message. That I hope people take away from today is one that too few people are aware of which is that we will not solve the climate crisis without rethinking our Global Food system one. Third of all Global greenhouse gas emissions come from food production. So unfortunately the mainstream media does not reflect this in their climate crisis coverage and most of the coverage that you see will be around the weather and energy and transport EV etcetera. But the reality of the situation is that probably as a group food is, is the largest kind of carbon budget. And, and other greenhouse gas budget, The Landmark report that really set this in motion, I would say is the 2006 un FAO report that connected livestock agriculture with emissions. And that's where really the global conversation kind of changed, but it really took on till I would say another landmark moment. When the guardian published this article in 2018 basically said, we cannot meet the Paris 2030 goals, and we cannot stop global warming and the worsening effects of climate change. On, if we don't significantly reduce meat and dairy consumption. Now, the reality of the situation is that, if tomorrow we could all agree to just focus on eating, fruits, nuts, pulses Beans seeds legumes and vegetables and Grains we'd be fine but I personally I do not believe that is where we're going to get to from a cultural and behavioral and social change point of view. The reality is that meat and animal protein, specifically plays, a very specific role and unique role in our food culture, in our kind of nutrition pyramid in our history as a species. He's and just kind of rubbing that all out and just going completely Whole Food plant-based as yeah, overnight 48 million people is, is not something I consider realistic. And so, for me personally, I was running a green media company. I started green Queen which is the first sustainable impact media in Asia, and today is a global reference for food and climate reporting. So for me, I believed at that point that the climate crisis was going to become more acute and I felt that as a media company that focused on the environment and consumer behavior and how we can change and kind of solutions for the future that were inspiring. I felt it was time for us to make that break and stop covering anything to do with animal. Agriculture and that included eggs and seafood as well as like meat and dairy. Now, I did not originally come to this conversation from an ethical veganism point of view. That's not my journey. My journey started with health and then the environment and then later the ethical part really kicked in for me, you know, I think that we're still very, very far away from a world where you could just impose strict veganism on everyone. I agree. A food, cultures are not going to accept changing the way we eat overnight or just completely removing me from our diets overnight. But besides this sort of awareness of what you wanted to do. From a business perspective, was there a personal moment or a penny drop moment for you, which made you.
Realize that you wanted to Spotlight this issue, and you also wanted to change the way you are eating.
To be honest. The business answer would have been to keep platforming meet. I would have made a lot more money in Advertiser dollars. So I actually came at it from a very activist point of view. So it was very personal and it was a great cost in a region where what I was talking about and a decision like that, just like did not make sense to most people around me. And it took years before there was a payoff in terms of people going, oh, that was, you know, forward there. And I think it spoke a lot to our ability at Green Queen to have credibility, but it wasn't an easy decision at all. I think we need to be aware that we are actually running out of land. We're running out of energy. We're running out of water. And what I am hearing in the questions you're asking, are in a way. Almost a set of assumptions that reflects the problem with how the media portrays the food and climate question, let us unpack that for a bit because I think that's really interesting and I completely accept that. I am a creature of the media, I have consumed. So do you want to talk about that a little bit more? Absolutely. We are far less in control of what we eat and the choices we make about food on our plate than we think. So, at the end of the day, we are upholding a food system that is enjoying subsidies and that is not paying for the true external cost the full cost of the supply chain. There was a very famous documentary that came out about fashion a few years ago, called the true cost, it really made a dent in people's mindsets about, you know, labor and ethical Supply chains for fashion, and we are in the food world. I think we're still really Reckoning with that. What is the true cost of me? The reality of the situation is that less than 5% of all meet on the planet. That is consumed is organic or Gas fed or wild or pasture fed, or whatever it is that all these terms signify. So they do not represent a solution that scales for a billion people and meet does have a very special role in our society. And there is a phenomenon that economists call Bennett's law. Whereby as societies get richer, they increase the percentage of animal protein and food in their diet. And historically meat is something that was scarce and difficult to procure. And so there's a status connection for most people between animal meat, especially beef, right? And that makes it difficult to just immediately overnight change the culture.
Yeah. When you're talking about the food lobbyist in the Food Network and everything of that nature. But what I am really curious about is we're talking a lot about the culture of meat and how much ingrained it is. Is so obviously we're alternative meat or plant-based meat might come into the perspective is trying to become a solution for that as well. So I would love to know a little bit about how this alternative meat can kind of come in from that kind of cultural perspective and transition into a solution for this type of issue? So I am going to take a tiny step back and say that there is the alternative meat industry within the alternative protein industry. Re with in what I will call the future food, Tech alternative food industry. So if you separate out, the cultural stuff that Health stuff.
We have a crunch in resources, that's table Stakes, that's Basics. So we absolutely need Innovation and, and design, thinking, and systems based solutions to find a way to kind of rejig our Global Food Systems to make them more resilient and to increase food security. There is a big difference between plant space to meet Precision, fermentation Dairy, cultivated me. Meat or seafood. These are all different Technologies with different paths to Market with different costs, with different pros and cons. But what is uniting? All of them is that I would say, 90% of the founders of these companies are looking to solve that exact issue, that you just brought up will, which is allowing people to consume the foods that they love without too much of a sacrifice without the environmental sacrifice but also, without the taste sacrifice and the nutrient sacrifice and the format sacrifice like, you can cook it in the same way that you would the animal version. So they are all coming at it from this idea. So beyond meet the famous plant-based burger company was founded in 2009. I am impossible came along in 2011 and now you have over 1,000 companies in this space across the world about 120 of. Those are cultivated companies so that is based on cellular agriculture. So the idea is you take a cell from an animal and you then feed that fell in a bioreactor, in a liquid medium and you essentially grow animal flesh or no fat or tissue the same way. You would kind of grow a liver for a liver transplant, so that is one technology. Another technology is precision fermentation which is where you program microbes or bacteria with the DNA recipe of a protein. So this is happening for whey protein or casein protein, both proteins in Dairy and that is a technology that we use. Anyway, already to make things like insulin for diabetics for type 1 diabetics. It is, but we also use it all the time to make vegetarian rennet, which is an 80% of commercial cheese. And then each of them has their own recipes and Technologies. But that was really, the shift is that you went from like, what felt very much like a piece of tofu with flavorings to this, kind of minced meat texture that People could feel with satisfying, especially in a burger, or a meatball or a.
Dumpling. Do we know anything about the health benefits or health risks of some of these new technologies? When applied to food production.
Extrusion as a process is not super neat as may be newly applied to soybeans or mung beans, but we consume all these Foods anyway. So I think the Whole Health argument is frankly overblown and I consider it to honestly be one of the tactics of big meat to discredit this industry and once again like who is asking that question, is it the person that's going to McDonald's and eating a McDonald's burger? Or is it a person who is cooking a grass-fed steak in there? Upper-middle-class neighborhood barbecue. Right? Because a lot of these products exist to solve the mass. Livestock meet problem, not the wealthy shops at Whole Foods is very, very conscientious about what they buy problem. Let us also talk about all the Alternatives, there are over 800 plant-based. Meat seafood and dairy brands in the world, and they all do different things and there are labels all look different. And, for example, in Singapore, there's a company called Corona, and they make a meat alternative from Jackfruit. That is regenerative Lee grown in Sri, Lanka, To me, that's not the same product as an impossible Burger, which proudly is made from non-GMO. Soy and contains fermented him' in order to give it a bloodiness and an iron-rich mouthfeel, those products are targeting different people and that's great. We have Choice, and then we have Fable Foods in Australia. That is creating alternatives for mushrooms and it is literally just real mushrooms. There's growing the mushrooms, and they're just treating them in a way to like remove the moisture so that the texture is more similar to meet, and they're more easy to use. So I think there are plenty of choices for customers that are Health motivated. I still think that there are some people that are not Health motivated and really, really, really love the taste of industrial meat, and we need transition foods for them. And I think companies like impossible and Beyond do a great job of providing those.
Alternatives. So one thing that I am hearing in my anecdotal experiences while we're talking to some people across and this is for more of an u.s. Perspective for we, you know, obviously farming is huge. You lie in the midwest, is there seems to be a mutual understanding and a strong dislike for industrial Foods, factory, farming, all of that type of stuff as well. So, for example, I have talked to many people who cannot stand any of that neat stuff. Now, again the probably are somewhat that still go to a restaurant and will still eat some of that like you said, but at home, they're doing their best to get locally sourced food regenerative, farming practices. They're doing the research on this farmer, and they're looking at the best quality of meat that they can get. For exactly the same similar reasons that I think. Number one for the climate change. Number two for nutrition in the u.s. Obviously people hunt. So you have deer hunting things of that nature, we are getting wild meat. We're obviously you know, exactly where it's coming from. So my question to you is, do you see any alignment with this common goal of kind of reducing the factory farming? Reducing the number between people who do want more regenerative? Farming practices which as you mentioned earlier in terms of the environment, That's great for climate change. We're gonna to farming. If you can re healthier soil and you can suck that carbon back in the air through that regeneration practices. I mean with soil. That's fantastic. Do you see alignment and anyway, between these individuals who from an ethical perspective, you may not align with because they do enjoy the taste of animals and eat it, but they do have the same common goal in terms of climate change as well? How do you kind of see if any alignment there to Market to some of those? Because you made a comment earlier about me, The people who like industrialize meet are going to go towards Beyond me possible. I don't know if I agree with that. I think that they would probably be more inclined to go find something that's more local than they would to switch to a plant-based meat because they're going to be skeptical for a while. So, curious to hear your thoughts on that. And what your opinion is there, because I see a common goal, just with a little bit of different opinion on, how to approach the solution.
Yeah, no, totally. So I didn't say that consumers, would want Hobbies me. I said that customers, who eat and die. Astral meat, that's what plant-based mean. Companies are trying to solve for is to meet customers where they are. So if they're eating cheap industrial meat, the provide them with cheese meat, that tastes the same and looks the same and as Subs in. Do I think that there are alignment between regenerative beef folks and alternative protein, folks? Deep down, I think, yes, there is a lot of alignment, I think that Regenerative farming leaving aside meat is an interesting, a solution. And it is one that, you know, a lot of people truly believe in. I think that there are issues with the term regenerative because it is undefined and unstandardized, but I do think there is alignment in some ways. What I have seen happen in the last 18 months is that there seems to be a strong ization between regenerative beef and alternative proteins. And for me, I just think we need all the solutions. There is no Silver Bullet. There are all kinds of people at all, in all kinds of countries, eating all kinds of things with all kinds of habits and food, cultures, and nutritional needs. And I am just not such a believer in like the one or the other approach. I don't think the data. Is there for a planet that supports 8 billion people eating as much meat as we do with regenerative thief or a generative chicken or regenerative Dairy? There is no data because it's going to be very, don't think you can do it at scale. Just like you said, at the very beginning of the podcast, you know? I think the question I had been very much in what your answer was, which is, how can you though, try to create this movement and then have it is less polarized? It is polarized.
Both sides and to me, I think that's kind of counterintuitive because it's in fighting, maybe not necessarily in fighting the right word because there are differences. But that common goal is still to improve the climate and, you know. And some people believe that the regenerative farming will help, you know, actually reduce climate change, right? And then on the flipside of that, for the plant-based products in the alternative, meet cell-based different solutions, that's also going to be great for the climate and things of that nature. So, I am trying to figure out and think of Is there a way where you can kind of somehow bring these people?
Together? I agree with you. I think that there is inviting and it is very, very, very unfortunate. So I think that it is also at there's a cultural element to it. There's also a social media factor involved here like we're not really in an age of nuance. We're in an age of extremes, but usually, when I talk to the average person away from the noise, I would think that they seem Aligned somewhat with what you're saying, which is that there are occasions for plant-based meat. There are occasions for grass-fed meat. There is overall an understanding for anyone who knows about climate that we need to reduce Overall meat consumption, and I think most people's goal would be to get to a mostly Whole Food plant-based diet goal, but how realistic that is for each individual is up and down. But certainly when I am in Europe and I talked to Europeans there seems to be a little bit more of a balanced view about where these Solutions fit and how they could all be within one big basket.
What can we do to Foster more of these conversations in these markets? Are you seeing any interesting educational initiatives, may be through not-for-profits or government's happening in a really localized way? And is there anything that other markets can learn from these? I think.
What's really driving, a lot of this is also a younger generation that is much more. The word I would use is flat. Like gen Z is often described as the flattest generation in the world where a by, no matter where you are, you find a gen Z. They seem to have very, very common cultural touch points. They are using the same mobile phone. I have very similar fashion music references, and they are very, very aware of the climate crisis and that is driving a lot of Grassroots activism around diet and environment. There's a lot more data showing that younger consumers. So, Below 25 are reducing meat intake and are much more, Curious and interested.
In Alternatives, right? Or in following a more ethical and more sustainable diet because for them the climate crisis is much more urgent and much more visible. The average gen Z is aware of, you know, Greta to and Berg and has like maybe participated in a strike and has learnt about the crisis at school. The ratio of their life that has been spent a rabbit. Climate crisis is very different from a millennial. And then forget about a boomer, right? And some of the research shows that it's the younger people that are essentially convincing the older generations to eat less meat And I think that the purchasing power of gen Z is about to become incredibly important. There's about to be like having three billion of them, and they're about to control a huge amount of Market, purchasing power. And that's going to change. What's at the store.
In what way do you think gen Z in the knowledge that they're getting obviously platforms? Like you're like the green Queen is a great way for them to kind of learn about Alternatives. And to kind of get that idea to hey do I want to do something that's more plant-based? Do I want to do alternative meet in to apply some of these principles into their daily lives?
I mean I think I would say maybe don't do anything drastic. The first thing you can maybe do is take an interest in the subject. By may be signing up to the newsletter, you know, and just kind of seeing what you read. Like what appeals to you? I think everyone has a different kind of green door that they walk through to make changes in their life and I think you have to do what? Feels right for you. And you have to, you have to know why you're doing things. I think that there are certain documentaries you can watch that can kind of open those doors for you. There are books, you can read. I mean, we have some of those resources on the site but overall I think, you know, just being more mindful. Around what's on your plate? You know where did it come from? You know, can you waste less food? Can you maybe a couple times a week not have meat on the plate? You know, can you commit to a more Whole Food plant-based diet and maybe one day you're like you think to yourself oh I want to have you know a burger night but I want it to be a little more conscious so you choose plant-based burger patty and again even than you know you can choose one made from Black. Jeans and you can choose one made, you know, from extruded soy protein. I mean I think the idea is like a little steps but also kind of understanding, why are you making those choices? And what I see a lot of is either someone has had a major health scare in which case I noticed suddenly it's very easy to give up animal Foods immediately overnight or someone is encouraged usually by someone in their household. So either they're Nur is eating plant-based or their children. And, so I think little changes opening yourself up to the information through a newsletter watching some documentaries, and then seeing kind of what your reaction is. Most people who subscribe to Green Queen will come back to me after a few weeks and just be like I had no idea how exciting this all was, I had no idea, there were so many incredible, Founders all over the world just like trying to find Solutions. I really do feel that companies like beyond me. And impossible Foods get way too much of the airwaves. There are so many exciting other things going on in the future of food. And, you know, it's really not up for debate, whether we need future of Food, Solutions, we do. We also need to be more Mindful and respectful and learn from indigenous farming. Traditions we need both, we need all of it. Do you really believe that we can change our food system? So drastically that they can. First of all, feed everybody on the planet and not destroy the planet that we have. Do you think this is even possible? I don't know. I don't think it's a definite resounded in. Yes, in my heart and in my head, but I think we got a try. And that's why I get up and do what I do every day. I think we have the Ingenuity. I think we have the capacity. I think we have the solutions. I don't think we have enough government will, and I don't think we have the ideal economic system for the change to happen. And there are days when I definitely Despair and it really feels like we are not making the progress. We need to make But I would have to say that one. What else is a solution? Like not try to. I think if you have children, you feel like again you just, you have no choice. You have to give it your best college shot and three. I feel like the younger generation really does. Feel more motivated. I mean, if you look at, you know, Fridays for future and like what that movement has achieved, I think it's pretty groundbreaking and the data that I see suggests that demographics change will bring about big change in the food system.
Just right now we're in we're not quite yet in the heart of that demographic. Shift, we're at the edges of it. So it doesn't seem Possible yet.
I just want to figure out how people can support you a little bit more and the things that they can do to follow, you know, Green Queen you mentioned earlier. You got a newsletter and website and all that type of stuff as well, but I would love for people to contact you. Follow you. Social media. You mentioned kind of go in slowly and some Sheriffs a little bit about that so that people can find your support you and follow you a little bit more.
Thanks so much. Well I really appreciate that, so we're at Green Queen.com .h K, which is our website. So I would say our main kind of content platform, and then we are at Green Queen HK for all social media platforms. And then we have a couple of newsletters one every week on Thursday about the future of food space, and one every other Monday which is a general sustainability and climate one and you can email us anytime at get in touch at Green Queen.com, .h K, and we're happy. To kind of help anyone in their transition or in their questions and a lot of what we're trying to do is also show that there is hope because what I am also trying to fight is you know, climate anxiety and climate depression because it can be hard not to feel completely overwhelmed. And so there's also a part of, hey, look at all these really cool humans, doing really cool things on a topic that I think we all care about, I mean food is probably the most universal. Thing that we do other than breathing as humans. We don't all love sports. We don't all have the same religion, we don't all have the same culture and nationality, but we all eat every day. So it is a uniter and many ways. And most of the time when I get people around a table, and we all hang out, even if we're from completely different points of view, most people find common ground in good food and.
Respectful conversation. Actually I think that is the most useful takeaway from this conversation if you want to change the conversation. Particularly around something that is both as unifying. But also yeah divisive I guess as food bring people around a table when you're breaking down like a really big problem. I always like to think about what is the next best step? And I think this is the Next best step and a really achievable one. Bring people together to eat and talk about it.
That is what I do. I never in my personal life, you will be surprised to know. I never talk about what I do, and I never talk about alternative proteins. I am a cook, though. I love to feed people and I just make good food. And I don't really talk about the fact that it's vegan or not, I just make good food that people like to eat and that's it. And then people call me up, and they're like, what's that? At recipe or what did I eat? And that's great. And that's where I am coming from as like a mom, feeder type person in my personal life you know, I like always joke that I am half Hindu, and so I just I am not a canoe. I don't believe in converting people to things. I just that is not how I that's not how I want to be talked to. And that's not what I think maybe we will work. And there are people who disagree with me. I think there is. There are people who believe conversion is the way and certainly it can work. But I think most people are coming from a Fairly reasonable point of view and as I said, they just want to eat good food and hang out and chat. And that is a more kind of realistic way to engage.
This very kind of important topic. Yeah, I completely agree and I think another factor in trying to get people to engage. With this topic is the language we use particularly when we talk about future food because The language I find is very scientific and it doesn't sound like we're talking about food. It sounds like we're talking about you know technology products. Yeah. I think that's a really astute observation and a problem that the industry is facing one critique. I would say I have of the all protein industry and that you I share this all the time with the industry. You know, in our Echo chamber is that I don't think that we have done. A particularly good job at marketing at branding at consumer engagement and there is too much of a focus on the tech and less of a focus on the food, and we forgotten that food Tech is food and food is highly. Highly cultural it relates to Identity, it relates to you know, family it relates to your grandmother, you know, it's very personal. There's something very Primal about food and I don't know that the industry is.
In a great job of communicating that and obviously it's a very new industry, and we're still bringing talent to it. And to be honest, most of the teams of these startups they didn't start out with marketing and branding and consumer engagement heavy teams, right? It was more Tech teams and business Ops teams and science are indeed teams. And so there's an explanation for it, but it really is time for us to step up in that game and talk about food, the way people want to hear. About food and to add to that the industry I think has missed out on a really important.
Consumer and that is the.
The female household leader consumer. Where if you look at consumer data and economics data, something like eighty percent of household buying decisions, purchasing decisions at the grocery store are made by women and that includes everything from food to clean. Being products to personal care products, right? Most of the time, it is a woman making those decisions for her household. Whether she is in a, in a partnership or in a family with children situation or with elderly relatives to look after, and almost none of the marketing seems to be geared towards that person who shops and often prepares the food as well. And I think that's been a huge mistake because I actually think that consumer would be very motivated by some of the points in the mission statement of an alternative protein company. I should have mentioned that, green Queen has a cookbook, it has a zero waste. Vegan cookbook that I co-wrote with a nutritionist like a vegan nutritionist at but it's a very kind of family cookbook with meal plans. And it's all its very Asian food heavy because I felt like we just didn't have enough Asian plant based recipes out there and it's very kind of zero waste approach. So will I think you would like it? Because the way we approach the sourcing of the ingredients is very much around some of the things you and I talked about earlier and yeah, it's you it's a PDF that you can download on the website and it's got lots of inspiration. That is delicious.
Yeah, I saw that. That and I will also put links to that in the show notes so that everyone else can take a look and download it and have new more climate-friendly options for their families which I think is really important, specifically with children, but thank you again sonali, really, really enjoyed this chat. Looking forward to seeing more of the news coming out of green Queen specifically, and they all meet space and specifically here in Asia because and I know that Singapore in particular is really positioning itself as a destination for innovators in the space, and I am excited to see what Solutions are coming out of this, this part of the.
World. Yeah. And so do I, thank you so much for your time out of your busy, busy work, life to come on, and speak to us, and share to our audience. A little bit more about to the green Queen. What y'all do and some of these Alternatives and how we can make some fixes to our food system because as you mentioned, there are a lot of things we could have gone. On into is part of it that we didn't even touch today. So, thanks for focusing on an area that can kind of educate people and allow them to go ahead with an open mind and learn to educate themselves and make conscious decisions through that education.
Pleasure. Thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed.
It. And thank you to you too. Will for joining me in this conversation and providing your.
Perspective. Yeah, absolutely. Happy to do. So very, very, very grateful for you to invite me on the show and give you an opportunity to kind of co-host with it. Obviously, an interesting topic for the post of us, both of us with an engaging solution which I am all about. So happy to share my perspectives as well. Just in my anecdotal experiences, in the US and my time in Europe and the European Ian's that I know. And yeah we will have to do it again sometime when we find another individual that aligns with what we're trying to do as well. Yes, we should.
I am looking forward to it already to learn more about the future of food and the impact of food on the climate head on over to Green Queen.com, .h K all of the links to the resources, sonali mentioned, are in the show notes. And if you liked hearing from will today, then head on over to talking Solutions. I love his show and hearing from The Amazing Founders and thought leaders doing great work, finding solutions for some of our biggest problems. I would love to know if in listening to this episode, it has inspired you to eat differently and if it has tagged the purpose effect in a picture of your plant-based meal or of you trying a new plant based food product, I would love to see it. That's it for me and you will hear from me again next week. Bye.