Taking root: Flexitarianism – shift towards vegetarian diet – identified as a major food trend
Growth in greener living shows how many are heeding warnings that “our need for food poses one of the biggest dangers to the planet”
It might seem unpalatable to put our food decisions and environmental degradation in the same basket. But what we eat, and how far it’s come to get to our table, is inexorably linked to greener living.
As Green Monday, a Hong Kong-based social venture promoting sustainable lifestyles reminds, “the truth is, our need for food poses one of the biggest dangers to the planet and is one of the largest contributors to climate change”.
Scientists warn that the human race is in danger of consuming itself out of existence. David Yeung, founder of Green Monday and Green Common, a “plant-based green living emporium” with outlets in Hong Kong, says the earth’s resources are finite: our world “simply cannot support” the kind of lifestyle where everyone drives SUVs and eats steak one day, beef burgers the next.
Besides, adds the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, raising livestock for human consumption causes more damage to our environment than all the transport vehicles combined. So, while it’s easy to tick the carbon offset option to feel better about flying, everyday choices can have a far greater impact. The latest figures from WWF show that 76 per cent of Hong Kong’s ecological footprint comes from the daily consumption habits of individuals, families and businesses.
Eating more plant-based and organic foods is easier thanks to the growing environmental movement in Hong Kong. The social group Meat Free Hong Kong says vegan restaurant choices in the city have doubled in recent years, while Yeung reports that the number of 'flexitarian' citizens has grown from 5 per cent before Green Monday, to 22 per cent.
Yeung describes flexitarianism – a predominantly vegetarian diet - as one of the biggest food trends of 2017.