All on the Same Team
Mobilizing an ecosystem of partnerships to promote plant-based living the in fight against climate change.
When David Yeung, Founder & CEO of Green Monday, finished his presentation during the recent Future Food Circle, the collective mood among the audience was one of shock. Within less than a decade, the Green Monday team has built a thriving and profitable plant-based eco-system. That alone is worthy of recognition. But what makes their story extraordinary is the way they have leveraged an ‘all for one’ collaborative spirit of partnership to drive the laser focus on their mission. As David said,
“We are all on the same plant-based team. I’m always appreciative of what others are doing because it contributes to the momentum. When someone tries a plant-based product and likes it, it opens them up to the world of plant-based.”
During the session, which was facilitated by Future Food Insitute Japan and Smart Kitchen Summit Japan, David recounted the journey that Green Monday has taken from a passion-inspired start-up to today’s multi-faceted ecosystem. It began, as he says, with the classic MBA story of two shoe salesmen stranded on an island. One looks around, sees that nobody is wearing shoes, and leaves as he believes there is no demand for shoes. The other sees nobody wearing shoes and believes there is unlimited potential. David admits that part of why the Green Monday ecosystem is so far-reaching is because they essentially had to engineer a plant-based industry from the ground up. This included advocacy efforts, innovative products, plant-based restaurants, product placement in strategic outlets, and partnering with influencers and global brands. They have become a connector, welcoming initiates to the plant-based lifestyle and connecting them to the wider ecosystem.
Although the food industry has limitless potential, it is also uniquely complex, due in large part to the close relationship between food and culture. It is a piece of our cultural identity. Changing peoples’ eating habits is, in essence, changing culture. So how do you get over this hurdle? David suggested the following steps:
- Affordability — products need to be within a price range that people can afford.
- Taste — plant-based products that taste like meat are smoothing the transition for meat-eaters.
- Convenience — products should be easily accessible where people shop and eat.
- Localized — every country has its preferences and traditions around food. The more tailored products can be to the local market, the more likely people will give them a try.
As impressive as Green Monday’s success has been in awakening consumers to the consequences of their food choices, David is quick to acknowledge the enormity of the situation. With the global population at 8 billion and growing, we cannot continue to feed everyone the way we have been. The planet simply does not have enough resources. At the current rate, we likely have less than ten years to contain the crisis.
But there is a silver lining. The recent pandemic has exposed the risks inherent in animal protein food chains. People, especially the youth, recognize the looming catastrophe and know that they will be the ones to bear it. Millennials and Generation Z are driving the global shift towards plant-based diets.
Not everybody can be Vegan, just as not everybody can be a professional athlete, as David explained. But, by the same example, we can play basketball, and we can reduce the meat and dairy in our diets. And we can start with Green Mondays.
The Future Food Institute believes climate change is at the end of your fork. By harnessing the power of our global ecosystem of partners, innovators, researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs, FFI aims to sustainably improve life on Earth through the transformation of global food systems.
We advocate and initiate positive change initiatives in Food Waste & Circular Systems, Water Safety & Security, Climate & Earth Regeneration, Mediterranean Foodscape, Nutrition & New Foods, and Humana Communitas, all tied in with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Learn more at www.futurefoodinsitute.org, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube.
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