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5 Signs That The Vegan Trend Is Hitting

India In A Big Way
Scientists have been documenting the unsustainable nature of
meat and dairy consumption for decades, but it is only in recent
years that veganism has garnered the attention of mass
consumers all over the world. While India is a country with a
long history of vegetarianism, like many other countries that
have undergone rapid urbanisation and population growth, the
demand for animal protein has been on the steady rise.
However, Indian consumers now seem to be making the shift
towards plant-based – and here are some signs indicating that
the vegan trend has hit the country. 

. Consumers in India eat far less meat than

other countries 
Despite India being associated with vegetarianism, the majority of Indians
– 71% – do consume meat. While that is the case, most Indian consumers do not
eat a lot of meat compared to the average American consumer, which may make
the plant-based transition that much easier. While per capita consumption of
meat in the United States stands at around 25 kilograms, India’s per capita
consumption of meat is 4.4 kilograms, making it the second lowest meat
consuming country in the world. 

2. Many vegan staples can already be found in

Indian kitchens 
Cereals, legumes, grains, pulses and sprouts – all of these ingredients are
typically found in traditional Indian dishes and most Indians have these in their
kitchen pantry. But they’re also staples in vegan diets and provide a great source
of protein and fibre. Lots of Indian dishes tend to already be plant-based too,
such as chana masala, vegetable biryani, dal chawal and dum aloo.
3. Increasing awareness of the environmental
impact of animal agriculture 
As the climate crisis continues to make headlines, more are becoming conscious
about the impact of their food choices and the environment. Animal agriculture
drives 18% of global greenhouse emissions – and 63% of India’s total
greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture comes from livestock farming. More
information about the water and land-intensiveness of livestock farming has
further raised the alarm amongst Indian consumers, especially as India is one of
the 17 countries most at risk of facing acute water shortages due to climate
change. 

Empowered with this knowledge, Indian consumers have shown greater

willingness to try plant-based products – even more so than their American
counterparts, as revealed in a Frontiers  report earlier this year. 

4. Indian athletes & Bollywood stars are going

vegan
Veganism has a celebrity touch all over the world, and it’s no different for India’s
famous A-listers. Bollywood stars such as Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut,
Sonam Kapoor and Aamir Khan have pledged to go 100% plant-based. Cricket
skipper Virat Kohli and Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian football team,
have too adopted veganism and are no doubt influencing other athletes and
fans to do the same. 

5. Indian food tech companies are making

vegan substitutes affordable 
India’s first plant-based chicken startup GoodDot operates vegan chain
eatery GoodDO, which has several locations across the country. The restaurant
chain provides all-vegan versions of classic Indian dishes as well as international
fast food fare, with many dishes already reaching price parity with its non-vegan
competitors, such as KFC and McDonalds. Another homegrown plant-based
brand Goodmylk, on the other hand, is also making vegan food accessible and
affordable to Indian consumers by creating a line of dairy-free milk, curd, butter
and mayonnaise – all delivered to doors via its online shop and popular grocery
app BigBasket. 
With affordability and accessibility remaining the biggest obstacle preventing
Indian consumers from making sustainable purchasing decisions, food techs
delivering these solutions will help drive mass change. 

Even more encouraging, the Good Food Institute, a global nonprofit that
promotes plant-based and cultivated foods as alternatives to to meat, dairy, and
eggs, have a dedicated India team working to advance the country’s alternative
ecosystem and support local innovators in the space.

The Demand Is There: Study Shows

Asian Consumers Welcome Lab-Grown
& Plant-Based Meat Alternatives
A recent survey revealed clean meat and plant-based meat alternatives have become
more globally accepted, especially in the Asian market. This could mean new
opportunities for Silicon Valley food-tech start-ups, but also more competition as Asian
sustainable industries catch on. According to EuroNews, the global meat substitutes
market was estimated at US$ 4.6 billion last year and is predicted to reach US $6.4
billion by 2023.

The new study, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, assessed

consumer interest in plant-based and “clean” laboratory-cultured meat in the
United States, India and China. While all three countries exhibited high levels
of acceptance, significantly greater levels of approval were observed in
Indian and Chinese consumers.

The survey involved over 3,000 participants and was conducted by researchers
from the Centre of Long Term Priorities in Hong Kong, Washington DC’s The
Good Food Institute and the University of Bath in the United Kingdom.
Participants rated their attitudes towards conventional meat, plant-based
alternative options and clean meat.

Findings from the paper showed that compared to American respondents,

Chinese consumers were twice as likely to buy clean meat or plant-based
alternatives. Chinese women were particularly open to purchasing clean
and plant-based meat options. And interestingly, meat eaters were more likely
to meat alternatives than vegans and vegetarians.

In countries with extremely large populations like India and China, plant & cell
meat alternatives are viewed as a way to mitigate a dependence on
environmentally destructive animal agriculture. Traditional animal livestock
farming is associated with a range of environmental issues such as
producing greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, water
depletion and deforestation. Opting for plant-based alternatives and “clean”
lab-grown meat are growing in popularity as consumers become more
conscious of the sustainability and health associated issues with conventional
animal rearing.

Lead researcher of the study, Chris Byrant, said: “consumers want plant-based
and clean meat. The opportunities for innovators to change the meat industry in
these countries are there.”

Given that the market demand for clean meat is growing in China and India,
established Silicon Valley food-tech companies are well placed to target
demographics in the Asian Pacific region. Motif Ingredients, a cellular-
agriculture start-up, has recently raised $90 million USD in funding to
develop laboratory-grown meat. Ginkgo Bioworks is another major player in
the cultured meat industry, with funding from big names like Bill Gates and
Richard Branson.

Asian start-ups are also well-positioned to capitalise on the trend and a fair few
are working on lab-grown “clean meat”. Singaporean biotechnology start-
up Shiok Meats has developed cell-based lab-grown seafood, a sustainable
alternative to traditional seafood farming. The young company, which has
recently been accepted into the prestigious US-based accelerator Y
Combinator, is planning on making their cultured shrimp commercially
available in supermarkets later by 2020 at the earliest. Hong Kong-
based Avant Meats is also working on cell-based fish and seafood.

Recent progress in China’s clean-tech policy is likely to encourage more

development in the sustainable meat sector. In 2017, China and Israel agreed
on a $300 million USD clean industry trade deal. According to Israel’s Finance
Ministry, the agreement will enable both countries to “expand bilateral economic
activity into other environmental-friendly technologies, including advanced
agriculture technologies”.

Bottom line: the demand for sustainable “clean meat” and plant-based
alternatives is robust in Asia and will be a major area of growth for both
established and emerging biotechnology food companies across the region and
beyond.
Billion Dollar Opportunity: Smart
Protein Summit Highlights India’s
Growing Alt Protein Industry
The Good Food Institute India (GFI India), a nonprofit
organisation supporting India’s burgeoning alternative protein
ecosystem, recently hosted its Smart Protein Summit to great
fanfare. Several key announcements were made during the
course of the packed four-day virtual summit, including a
dedicated investment and advisory platform for Asian food
techs, the launch of an India-focused alternative protein
accelerator, and more details on Bollywood celebrities Riteish
and Genelia Deshmukh’s new vegan meat brand among other
news, as well as an inspired keynote by former PepsiCo CEO
Indra Nooyi. 

Held virtually this year between October 6 to 10, the Summit is the largest
alternative protein industry event in the country that brought together thought
leaders, investors and even Bollywood celebrities to advance the development
of plant-based, fermentation-derived and cultivated proteins that will help build
a healthier and more sustainable food system in India and beyond. In total,
over 40 speakers were featured at the event with over 2,000 attendees who
represented stakeholders across the value chain, from food processing to
retail and scientific research, hoping to progress an industry that will be
worth over US$1 billion within the decade, according to GFI India. 

“The excitement and groundbreaking announcements surrounding the Smart

Protein Summit are a testament to the growing corporate, investor, and
government interest in the burgeoning Indian alternative protein sector,” Varun
Deshpande, GFI India‘s Managing Director told Green Queen. “As an agricultural
and technology powerhouse, India will be a lynchpin in the global food system
for the next decades – building the alternative protein industry from the ground
up is critical to ensuring that food system is healthy, sustainable, and just.” 
New Indian Plant-Based Brands Imagine Meats & Blue
Tribe Food Go Live
Major announcements were revealed over the course of the Summit, including
juicy details that Bollywood icons Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh dished out
about their new plant-based meat company, Imagine Meats. 

“We like our tikka, we like our kheema, that’s the kind of food that we enjoy.
[Our] vision for Imagine Meats is to get the right kind of taste for people because
the one thing that you cannot compromise on your product is taste,” said Riteish
Deshmukh. “In terms of the product line, we’re trying to make a mix of
ready-to-eat meals. We want to be region specific, because the kind of
Imagine Meats products available in Maharashtra would be probably
different from Delhi, in North India to Bengal or South India.”

Genelia Deshmukh added that the brand is targeting the “guilty non-vegetarian
eaters” in India and providing them with convenient options that they can “take
it home, eat it without any guilt.”

Another exciting launch that attendees of the Smart Protein Summit were the
first to hear about is Blue Tribe Foods, who presented on Day 3 of the event
during the Innovator Showcase. The startup’s CMO Sohil Wazir spoke about the
new plant-based meat venture founded by Sandeep Singh, the managing
director of Indian pharmaceutical firm Alkem Labs and his patner Niki Singh.

GFI India & WEF Announce Alt-Protein Forum

With support from the World Economic Forum, GFI India also announced the
creation of a new Alt-Protein Forum, which targets pre-competitive
partnerships between startups and co-manufacturers, corporations and
incumbent meat, egg and dairy industry leaders that already have the space and
equipment infrastructure for scale.

“When companies are scaling up they don’t know the market size and don’t
know if they require a smaller quantity to test production, they are unaware of
the regulatory and marketing challenges,” explained Dheeraj Talreja, President
of India-AAK. “We think collaboration is the way forward to address and remove
some of these bottlenecks. We’re looking forward to working together and
bringing people on a common platform.”

“We want to create a forum for multi-stakeholder collaborations and be

pivotal to shaping the landscape over the next few years,” added GFI India.
“We invite retailers, distributors, foodservice people across the value chain to
present data. We will synthesize data from these meetings and focus on
collaborations.”

Protein Is Critical Element Of Food Supply, Says Indra

Nooyi
Indra Nooyi, the former chairperson and CEO of PepsiCo, speaking about the
issue at hand said: “We have to figure out how to give people a very healthy
food supply and one critical element of the food supply is protein.”

“My hope is that we make the food supply a lot more healthy and therefore our
citizens healthy and then we address this whole inequality in food distribution so
that there are no food deserts and food surplus where so much food is wasted
that’s my dream. Whether that’s going to happen or not, it’s up to the
private sector and governments citizens, and nonprofit
organisations. Everybody sitting together and figuring out how to make this
reality,” Nooyi added.

First Plant-Based Seafood Certification Announced

Furthermore, GFI announced another partnership during the event with
the World Sustainability Organization (WSO), which will see plant-based
seafood products certified under a Gold Level version of their Friend of the
Sea (FOTS) certification program.

“The World Sustainability Organisation’s DNA is to promote more sustainable

products so we are launching a golden or premium label certification for plant-
based seafood to highlight at the B2B level those products which originated in a
sustainable way and this can impact the market,” said Dr Paolo Bray, the founder
and director of the WSO.

New Investment Partnership To Support Indian

Startups
The Summit additionally saw Magnetic and well-recognised investor Rajeev
Chitrabhanu’s launch of a partnership with GFI to support, advise and
provide funding to alternative protein startups in India and across the
wider Asian region. 

“I’m proud to say that I’m announcing a vertical within MAGNETIC focused on
consumer-facing products, understanding their issues, and obviously motivated
by my personal interest in this space and the global trend and the network that I
have across the PE firms, venture capital firms, and corporates and finding a way
to act as an advisor and capital provider to them,” Chitrabhanu told the
audience. 

“The goal here is to create a huge impact by backing innovative, most ambitious,
and most mission-aligned people and giving them the tools to lead in this
space.”

Debut Joint Venture & Accelerator For India’s Alt

Protein Industry
Finally, Big Idea Ventures (BIV) and Ashika Group publicised their new joint
venture, an investment and accelerator program focused on nurturing and
supporting Indian entrepreneurs across the alternative protein space, from cell-
based startups to plant-based and fermentation food techs. 

We are looking for great founders, great entrepreneurs, and [want to] find out
how they can create an India-based Beyond or Impossible,” said Andrew D. Ive,
founder and managing general partner at BIV. “We will put in money,
mentorship, and access across stakeholders in the value chain.” 

“[We are] looking for companies working on alternative meat dairy, and on the
supply side – so not just B2C but also B2B – be it supplying other brands or
exporting material for global brands,” added Chirag Jain, CEO of Ashika Group.
“We leapfrogged over laptops in India, now we have more people with mobiles
than laptops. India is a protein-deficient country – we can leapfrog over animal-
based meat directly to plant-based meat.” 

The Sustainable Superfood: Big Players

Say Microalgae Is The Future Game
Changer

In just three decades time, we could be looking at a planet of 10

billion people, and we’re going to have to drastically change our
current food system if we are to feed the entire world healthily,
safely and sustainably alongside the challenges we will face due
to climate change. While there is no single answer to this
enormous global issue, one particular ingredient is now turning
heads. From government backing to big food industry leaders
like Unilever, microalgae has come under the spotlight for its
game-changing potential as a sustainable, nutrient-rich future
food solution. 
Packed with protein, antioxidants, and plant-powered vitamins and minerals like
omega-3 fatty acids, microalgae ingredients like chlorella and spirulina have
been widely recognised as healthy superfoods but hasn’t quite managed to win
the taste buds of mainstream consumers, mainly because of its smell and taste. 

But now, food techs and scientists are developing ways to improve the sensory
qualities of microalgae, and big players in the food industry want in on this
sustainable protein-rich ingredient. According to recent research, microalgae
presents a huge opportunity with a protein yield of anywhere between 4 to 15
tons per hectare annually, far higher than the 0.6 to 1.2 tons per hectare
each year for wheat, pulses, legumes and soybeans. It also requires far fewer
resources compared to other land-based crops, as it can be cultivated
in absence of freshwater or pesticides, which also makes it a resilient crop
against the future weather changes imposed by the climate crisis.

Microalgae offer much untapped potential as a viable, climate-friendly protein

alternative,” said Alejandro Amezquita, the director of future bio-based
ingredients R&D at consumer goods behemoth Unilever. “They have a significant
part to play in food system transformation.”

Amezquita’s comments were made at Unilever’s announcement earlier in July

this year on its new partnership with Algenuity, a U.K.-based algae
company that has found a way to overcome the adverse taste of
microalgae. Called Chlorella Colours, the microalgae is neutral in smell and
flavour, and comes in a variety of colours without any loss of its nutritional
value. 

“Our Chlorella Colours platform provides plant-based ingredients that are sustainable,
natural, non-GMO and protein-rich with neutral flavours,” explains Andrew Spicer, CEO
and founder of Algenuity. “They are also vegan-friendly, making them extremely
relevant to today’s growing consumer appetite for more plant-based foods with
additional functional benefits.”

With its emulsifying properties, Unilever has plans to incorporate the sustainable
superfood ingredient into its products as a replacement for eggs, making it particularly
suitable for the conglomerate’s growing line of plant-based offerings, such as
Hellmann’s vegan version of condiments like mayonnaise or plant-based meats under
its Vegetarian Butcher brand. 
What is particularly interesting about this project is the sustainability aspect. We
brew the algae on side streams from the beer industry, we use new low-energy
process methods and not forgetting the grateful algae that grows really
efficiently,” Christian Kjølby, CTO at NatuRem Bioscience, told FoodNavigator  in a
recent interview. 

The backing of the ministry comes after Denmark set up a new National
Bioeconomy Panel dedicated to identifying novel protein sources that are
sustainable, climate-friendly and healthy. Researchers working on the
“Microalgae for food” project hope to be able to develop a new microalgae
ingredient that is protein-rich, helps to slash food waste from brewer’s spent
grains, and can be supplied to large food manufacturers in the near future. 

“The algae is a whole new potential food ingredient, which makes it super
interesting to work with, and our expectation is that we finally have a finished
protein source in powder form that can be used directly in the industry,” said
Kjølby.

The 6 Most Exciting Packaging Startups

Helping Solve The Plastic Waste Crisis
By now, most of us are aware of the shocking amount of waste
left behind to pollute our planet as a result of our throwaway
convenience culture. And a big part of what’s fuelling our plastic
waste crisis is packaging, from disposable plastic bags to cutlery
and single-use delivery parcels. Thankfully, a number of
companies are now pioneering innovative solutions to
traditional packaging. While the packaging alternative industry is
full of new ideas (check out the exciting ideas and creative
designs on display at these alternative packaging awards), we’re
showcasing on six startups from around the world that are at
the forefront of fighting packaging waste with their clever and
planet-friendly solutions. 
1. noissue: Recycled & Plant-Based E-Com
Retail Packaging
ounded in 2017, noissue is an Auckland-based startup providing brands, companies and
businesses eco-friendly packaging solutions that come in all sizes and shapes and are
fully customisable. From tissues to stickers, tape and mailer packaging, the company
offers a variety of sustainable materials to choose from, including compostable types
that are derived from plant-based or biopolymer materials, recycled plastic, and
reusable options. Unlike most packaging suppliers, noissue also gives clients the option
to order in low minimum quantities to ensure the least amount of waste and maximum
accessibility to small businesses. Each order made also contributes to tree planting
projects via noissue’s partnering nonprofit organisations. 

DID YOU KNOW: 40% of plastic produced is packaging, used just once and
then discarded.

2. Packoorang: Upcycled & Reusable Mailer

And Delivery Bags
Packoorang is a Norwegian company specialising in reusable packaging that can
be recirculated in the economy up to 500 times. Since its inception in 2019, the
company has been designing and creating the polyester material for its reusable
bag out of recycled bottles and off-cuts from clothing factories. Their bags are
also padded with an inside layer that can protect the contents of the package,
making its solution both functional and  eco-friendly. 

DID YOU KNOW: We produce 300 million tons of plastic every year, 50% of

which is for single-use purposes.

3. Sustainabl.: Home Compostable F&B

Packaging
Sustainabl. is a Hong Kong-based startup creating zero-waste lifestyle and
household products and home compostable F&B packaging. Its first product was
a drinking straw made from natural sustainably-sourced lepironia grass, a type
of bamboo grass abundant in Southeast Asia. Unlike paper and plant-based
plastic straw alternatives, Sustainabl.’s solution is 100% home compostable,
biodegradable, toxin and preservative-free, carbon-neutral, vegan and suitable
for gluten-free folk. After its launch last year, the company has expanded its
range with home compostable takeaway cups and food containers made from
sugarcane “bagasse” pulp, a 100% natural byproduct of the sugarcane industry.
DID YOU KNOW: In 1950 the world produced only 2 million tonnes of plastic
per year. By 2015, we produced 381 million tonnes, a 20 times increase.

4. Distinctive Action: Water Soluble,

Compostable & Non-Toxic Plastic-Free Bags
Founded last year in Hong Kong, Distinctive Action has created a bag
that completely disappears in water. Dubbed the “invisible bag”, the product is
designed to replace conventional plastic bags – it is water-soluble, non-toxic,
biodegradable, compostable and leaves no trace of microplastics on the planet.
It is now already partnered with a number of retailers and restaurants to offer
customers a convenient yet totally waste-free solution to the plastic bag
problem. 

DID YOU KNOW: Half the world’s plastic is made in Asia, and China
accounts for 29% of that.

Read: Distinctive Action co-founders on how sustainable packaging

alternatives are becoming a “must-have” for businesses

5. barePack: Reusable Food/Drink Containers

For Delivery & Takeaway
barePack was founded in Singapore as a convenient solution to make takeaway
orders more sustainable and fight the mounting waste crisis caused by
disposables. According to the company, it is “world’s first unlimited returnable
container subscription platform”, which allows its members to connect with
reusable-friendly vendors for discounts and rewards. Since its launch, the
circular platform has already collaborated with Foodpanda Singapore a few
months ago and most recently with fellow delivery operator giant Deliveroo. 

DID YOU KNOW: About 8% of the world’s oil production is used to make
plastic.

Read: Q&A with barePack co-founder Roxane Uzureau 

6. Notpla: Edible & Biodegradable Seaweed-

Based Sauce Sachets
London-based Notpla is a startup creating sustainable packaging out of seaweed
and plants. Their star product is Ooho, a flexible packaging sachet that is
suitable for beverages and sauces, which is 100% edible (ideal for takeaway
sauces and condiments) – leaving behind zero waste – or alternatively, it can
biodegrade in 4-6 weeks. Aside from coming up with a solution to replace
bottles, cups and sachets, Notpla has also come up with a Notpla Liner, which
tackles the problem of water- and grease-proofing cardboard takeaway food
containers. As opposed to conventional lined cardboard, which usually uses
plastic, Notpla’s is biodegradeable and even re-pulpable.

DID YOU KNOW: Of the plastic waste produced between 1950 and
2015, only 9% was recycled.

he startup is still hopeful that change will happen, driven by consumer demand
for more sustainable alternatives. “Especially with millennials, they follow brands
who are leaning on sustainability, from manufacturing to sourcing to the
finished goods,” Ng told Green Queen. 

“Changing to greener alternatives has become a ‘must-have’ element in their

product or business development. We can see that more and more companies
are now willing to switch to sustainable materials for packaging.” 

Ultimately, the Hong Kong-based company wants to reignite the movement in

the city against plastic waste to push through mass change. “We want to
influence not only industries but also individuals by creating a community for
positive environmental change,” said Ng. 

“We’ll keep working on and researching new applications with a lot of focus on
the after-life of the product. Our dream is to develop products that from design,
already have been engineered for easy waste management and minimal impact
on nature.”

McDonald’s To Trial Reusable Packaging

With Circular Delivery Platform Loop
McDonald’s has just announced that it will be collaborating with
zero-waste delivery platform Loop to pilot a new reusable
packaging scheme in the U.K. next year. The move by the fast
food giant marks a major step forward in the movement to
reduce plastic and packaging waste, especially since efforts have
stalled for months due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 
McDonald’s, the world’s largest restaurant chain by revenue, has just revealed
that it is partnering with circular delivery service Loop to test a new reusable cup
model for hot beverages. The initiative, which will begin in 2021 in select
locations in the U.K., marks a first for the fast food industry to introduce
zero-waste packaging solutions. 

Founded in May 2019 by the Franco-U.S. waste management company

Terracycle, Loop will offer McDonald’s customers in these locations the option to
choose a durable Loop-created cup for a small deposit. The deposit can then
be returned when the cup is brought back to a participating McDonald’s
restaurant to be professionally cleaned, sanitised and reused again. 

“We’re on a journey to rethink how we package products to give customers

options that reduce waste, maintain the highest safety standards, and enhance
the McDonald’s experience they expect and enjoy,” said Jenny McColloch, vice
president of global sustainability at McDonald’s. 

“That’s an innovation challenge, and it’s one we think the Loop model has
potential to help us solve…We’re excited to assess how new reusable packaging
models could work within our system as we accelerate circular packaging
solutions with our partners around the globe.”

Amid the heightened hygiene challenges due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis,
Loop has taken steps to ensure that each reusable item is properly cleaned. The
system, developed in partnership with hygiene solutions company EcoLab,
guarantees that each cup is as safe to use as its single-use counterpart. 

While the pandemic has seen the rise of unfounded claims over coronavirus
contamination related to reusables, many of which have been promoted by
right-wing think tanks and lobbying groups who have exploited the crisis to push
against bans on single-use plastics, recent scientific evidence has confirmed that
reusables do not raise the risk of coronavirus transmission as long as basic
hygiene is employed. 

The expansion of circular delivery models such as Loop’s, particularly in

partnership with a global fast food chain, represents hope that progress in the
battle against plastic waste can be restarted. 

“This groundbreaking partnership with McDonald’s enables Loop to greatly

expand its reach by bringing convenient reusable packaging options to the food
service industry,” said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle and Loop. “The
partnership paves the way for reusables to become an accessible option for
consumers as they enjoy their meal on the go.”
Earlier this year in July, the circular e-commerce startup announced its
major partnership with Tesco to launch its services across the U.K., which offers
customers more than 150 food and household products in refillable containers.
The launch in the U.K. marks the third market that Loop’s services are available
in, after the U.S. and France.

Health & Sustainability A Priority For

Asian Consumers But Cost & Ease
Remain Still A Barrier
A newly released global public opinion study has found that the
majority of people around the world are now willing to adopt
healthy and sustainable behaviours, especially in Asia. However,
there remains key impediments to action, with the main barriers
being the perceived difficulty of making planet-positive changes
as well as affordability, a consideration that has intensified in
the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. 
The study, conducted by global market research firm GlobeScan, collected data
from 27 countries around the world in June 2020 this year and involved
approximately 27,000 participants. Designed with a range of corporate and
nonprofit partners including IKEA, CVS Health, PepsiCo, Visa and WWF, the
survey was centred on understanding the mindsets of consumers and the
enabling factors that help them make healthier and more sustainable lifestyle
choices. 

While the research revealed that across the world, there is strong willingness to
make healthy and sustainable changes, the trend is particularly clear in Asia.
Insights collected from 9,000 people across Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia,
Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam showed that 81% of Asian
consumers are now actively trying to improve their health and well-being,
while 75% reported motivations to significantly lessen their environmental
footprint. 

Topping the list of global issues that citizens in Asia perceive as the most serious
is the current Covid-19 crisis (94%), followed closely by climate change (91%)
and air pollution (90%) – a strong indication of the widespread concerns
consumers have about health in terms of their personal well-being as well as the
planet. 
“We can see that 2020 has firmly put health and sustainability on the agenda,”
explained Wander Meijer, director at GlobeScan Asia. “With that, Asian
companies have an opportunity to educate, innovate, take leadership, and shape
consumer behaviour.”

While the interest and willingness to adopt healthier and more eco-friendly
behaviours is high, there remains a “gap between aspiration and action”, the
research revealed. One of the key barriers to implementing action is the
perceived difficulty of the behaviour, as people reported greater likelihood of
altering their lifestyles if they believe it is an easy change. In Asia, the actions
that people are most interested in taking include energy saving at home, looking
after their financial well-being and prioritising mental health. 

Affordability is also a major consideration for consumers when it comes to

enabling them to adopt healthy and sustainable behaviours, with the most
suggested action that consumers advised companies to take being to reduce the
cost of their environmentally-friendly products and services. These findings build
on existing consumer research from GlobeScan released at the beginning of this
year, which highlighted price as a major deterrent that prevented individuals
from pursuing healthy and environmentally-friendly daily habits.  

“We will use these insights to accelerate our work and make the healthy and
sustainable choice more accessible and attractive. It should simply be the
default option,” said Lena Pripp-Kovac, the chief sustainability officer at Inter
IKEA Group. “Our ambition is to inspire and enable healthy and sustainable living
and to make it affordable for the many people with thin wallets. Sustainable
living should not be a luxury for the few.”

Younger generations universally reported higher levels of eagerness to

make an effort to become healthier and more sustainable. This finding was
consistent around the world, with as many as 70% of Gen Z respondents and
66% of millennials saying they would like to be healthier and actively reduce
their footprint. 

Study Finds People Want to Make Healthy and

Sustainable Living Choices but Do Not Know
Where to Start
October 7th, 2020: Just-released global public opinion research shows that
people all around the world are willing to adopt more sustainable and
healthy behaviours, but they do not know where to start. The 27-country
study was conducted in June 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19
pandemic. In total, 27,000 people took part in the global study that asked
them about attitudes, opinions, and behaviors linked to more sustainable
and healthier lifestyles.
The 2020 study was designed with a range of partners including CVS
Health, GlobeScan, IKEA, PepsiCo, Visa, and WWF International to help
organizations better understand the mindsets of people globally and what
enables them or prevents them from living in a healthier and more
sustainable way. Key findings include:
 The top four “very serious” global problems mentioned
are: coronavirus/COVID-19 (68%), the spread of human diseases (62%),
climate change (60%), and the depletion of natural resources (60%).
 People are put off by actions they believe are difficult. When trying to be
healthier and more sustainable, people across the world are more likely to
alter aspects of their life if they perceive it to be easy to do so.
 Affordability is also important when encouraging the uptake of healthy
and sustainable behaviors. The number one action that people want
companies to take to enable sustainable living is to make more affordable
products and services that are better for both people and the environment
(50%).
 While health is understandably a priority for people across the world,
the environment also remains top of mind. 74 percent want to reduce their
impact on the environment and nature by a large amount.
 People are willing to do their bit to improve their own lives, the lives of
others, and the environment, but there is currently a gap between
aspiration and actual behavior. 61 percent want to change their lifestyles
and 31 percent say they have made major changes to be live more healthily.
 Younger generations are consistently more eager to make a significant
effort to become healthier, more environmentally friendly, and more
helpful to others. As many as seven in ten Gen Z respondents (70%) and
two-thirds of Millennials (66%) say they want to become healthier.
 The behaviors that people are most interested in doing more of next
year include: taking care of financial health and wellbeing (80%), saving
energy at home (80%), reducing food waste (78%), taking care of mental
health (78%), spending time with family and friends (78%), and eating
healthy and nutritious food (78%).

 When asked what companies could do to help them live healthily and
sustainably, people most desire more affordable products and
services. Reinforcing the importance of price, taking care of personal
financial health is the top action people would like to do more of in
 the coming year. With changes to income and financial stability in the
wake of the pandemic, it is likely that the priority placed on
affordability has intensified.

 Findings from the study also show that people are put off by actions
they believe are difficult. When trying to be healthier and more
sustainable, they are most likely to alter aspects of their life if they
perceive it to be relatively easy to do so. Typically, these behaviors
link to improving personal wellbeing, ethical purchasing, and actions
within the household (such as saving water at home, eating healthy
food, choosing products with less packaging, and buying from
responsible brands). When encouraging behavior change, evidence
from this study identifies the importance of removing barriers and
providing clear information.

 People are willing to do their bit to improve their own lives, the lives
of others, and the environment, but there is currently a gap between
aspiration and actual behavior. Lack of follow-through suggests there
is an opportunity for guidance and solutions from key players across
the world to enable healthier and more sustainable living.

 Eileen Howard Boone, Chief Sustainability Officer at CVS Health said:

“Our planet’s health and people’s health are inextricably linked.  As a
health services company, we’re acutely aware of the need to help
people live more sustainable lives, which will in turn lead to living
healthier lives.  The findings from this study will help us all advance
our shared goals.”
 Eric Whan, Director at GlobeScan said: “2020 has shocked behavioral
habits unlike anything GlobeScan has seen in decades of consumer
research worldwide. Suddenly, sustainable consumer behavior
encompasses so much more for people than minimizing their
environmental footprint. Along with a myriad of challenges, a new
world of opportunities has suddenly opened up for leadership
organizations.”
 Lena Pripp-Kovac, Chief Sustainability Officer at Inter IKEA Group
said: “Our ambition is to inspire and enable healthy and sustainable
living and to make it affordable for the many people with thin wallets.
Sustainable living should not be a luxury for the few. We will use
these insights to accelerate our work and make the healthy and
sustainable choice more accessible and attractive. It should simply
be the default option.”
 Douglas Sabo, Chief Sustainability Officer at Visa said: “Consumers
around the world are facing the triple threat of crises – a global health
crisis, an economic crisis, and an increasingly prevalent and urgent
climate crisis. Yet as the survey results show, consumers remain
 committed to attaining healthy and sustainable lives. Visa is
committed to partner with leading brands and to provide insights and
solutions that will help consumers and businesses continue to
advance the sustainable living movement.”
 Cristianne Close, Global Leader, Markets Practice, WWF International
said: “WWF’s Living Planet Report 2020 shows that reversing nature
loss and tackling climate breakdown requires nothing less than
transformation of food production systems and consumption patterns,
including reducing food waste and improving our diets. As part of that
transformation, this new research from GlobeScan reveals most
consumers are ready to make healthy and sustainable choices – as
long as they are relatively easy and affordable. As we recover from
the global pandemic, brands and retailers have a unique opportunity
to help forge a better future and help their customers live healthier,
more sustainable lives.”
Methodology Summary:
This research program builds on 20 years of GlobeScan’s public
opinion research in the areas of sustainability, branding, and reputation, and
is designed to help better understand the diverse mindsets of consumers
that shape their barriers to (or serve enablers of) more healthy and
sustainable living.

Survey sampling and data collection was achieved using best-in-class

online consumer panels to survey approximately 1,000 adults in each of the
27 countries. Sampling was optimized to represent consumers per the
latest census data for those age 18 years and up.
Data collection took place in June 2020.

Participating countries include: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,

France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya,
Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South
Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Thailand, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam.

Starbucks has successfully created sections of the customers

and identified their target. According to our research, they
were able to single out taste connoisseurs, the trendy folk,
Students,  and the high-status folk as their target. Taste
connoisseurs are the coffee experts who visit a place only if
the coffee is at par with their expectations. The trendy folk
tends to splurge money for the sake of the exterior look, and
because it’s trending, and are often seen with a huge group of
friends and constantly update their lives on social media.
These automatically become a high target, as there is a high
potential for sharing on social media. The high-status folk do
not really care about coffee, and don’t really have an opinion,
but like to show-off by taking their friends to expensive
places. 
Customer targeting is crucial to understanding how to devise
a smart marketing strategy. Unlike other brands, they have
understood at an early age that customer buying will
ultimately depend on their lifestyle. They have adopted an
“EGO” strategy. Instead of placing themselves as a brand open
to all, they have positioned themselves as a reward for those
who appreciate quality coffee. Starbucks hence positioned
itself as a “premium coffee experience for a premium
customer.” Their impeccable service, great ambiance, good
washrooms, sumptuous food, portraying a ‘cool’ coffee shop
all added to the essence of this brand, along with the smell of
roasted beans that wafts through one’s nose as they enter a
Starbucks. 
Starbucks Challenges:
Furthermore, their alliance with Tata has also opened them to
the option of selling Tea. It is not a surprise that their
collaboration with Tata Tea has owed to the production of
their very own Tata Tazo tea. 

Many other innovative ideas have led to establishing brand

loyalty. One example of this can be seen in their ventures to
bring like-minded people together, such as Entrepreneur
Saturdays. 

Starbucks also places a strong emphasis on their employees.

They make them feel at home by providing them with a range
of opportunities such as frequent promotions, health
insurance, housing allowance, etc. As they say, a happy
employee leads to a happy business. 

The company also places location as one of its prime

responsibilities. Starbucks is often located in the more elite
locations in metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, and
Bengaluru. This is a deliberate decision undertaken to attract
people of the elite class. They are almost always located near
an international high-priced brand to attract the right kind of
customers. 
Clever marketing coupled with creating an ‘emotional appeal’
may aid Starbucks in gaining loyal customers, who do not
mind buying their expensive coffee granted they be treated as
a premium customer, bestowed upon them lavish ambiance
and an absolutely ‘premium experience.’ Starbucks may yet
have a long way to go, but their expertise and strategies to
date have aided them in coming this far.  With the proper
instruments, mindset, planning, and marketing, Starbucks
may indeed meet its goal of creating a stronghold in the
country, something many multinational companies before
have failed to do. 
Tata is on the driver seat of Starbucks business in India. But
Tata is also coming into the same segment which is Tata Cha.
This is kind of business overlapping..
Starbucks’ Primary Activities
Porter’s value chain analysis discusses five primary activities.
Inbound Logistics
The inbound logistics for Starbucks refer to company-appointed coffee buyers
selecting the finest quality coffee beans from producers in Latin America,
Africa, and Asia. In the case of Starbucks, the green or unroasted beans are
procured directly from the farms by the Starbucks buyers. These are
transported to storage sites, after which the beans are roasted and packaged.

Value is added to the beans through Starbucks’ proprietary roasting and

packaging, which helps to increase their selling value. The beans are then
sent to distribution centers, a few of which are company-owned and some of
which are operated by other logistic companies. The company does not
outsource its procurement, ensuring high-quality standards right from the point
of selection of coffee beans.

Operations
Starbucks operates in more than 80 markets, either in the form of direct
company-owned stores or licensed stores. (Starbucks does not follow the
traditional franchising terms.) The company has more than 32,000 stores
globally. It is also the owner of several brands, including Teavana, Seattle’s
Best Coffee, and Evolution Fresh.
According to its financial reports, the company generated 81% of its total net
revenue during the first half of its 2020 fiscal year from its company-operated
stores while the licensed stores accounted for 11%. 

Outbound Logistics
There is very little or no presence of intermediaries in product selling
for Starbucks. The majority of the products are sold in stores. However,
storage and distribution to retail locations are important.

Marketing and Sales

Starbucks invests more in superior quality products and a high level
of customer service than in aggressive marketing. However, need-based
marketing activities are carried out by the company during new product
launches in the form of sampling in areas around the stores.

Service
Starbucks aims at building customer loyalty through its in-store customer
service. A signature retail objective of Starbucks has always been to provide
customers with a unique Starbucks Experience.

Service training is a key component of the value chain that helps to make its
offerings unique. A substantial amount of value is created when baristas make
drinks for customers.

Starbucks' Support Activities

 
Porter outlines four kinds of support activities that can be important in value
chain analysis.

Infrastructure
This includes departments like management, finance, legal, etc., which are
required to keep the company’s stores operational. Starbucks employs
business managers in its corporate offices. It also has store managers on-site
that help to oversee well-designed and pleasing stores complemented with
good customer service provided by the dedicated team of employees in green
aprons.

Human Resource Management

The committed workforce is considered a key attribute in the company’s
success and growth over the years. Starbucks employees are motivated
through generous benefits and incentives. The company is known for taking
care of its workforce, a key reason for a low turnover of employees, which
indicates great human resource management. There are many training
programs conducted for employees in a setting of a work culture, which keeps
its staff motivated and efficient. 
Technology Development
Starbucks is very well-known for the use of technology, not only for coffee-
related processes (to ensure consistency in taste and quality along with cost
savings) but to connect to its customers. Many customers use Starbucks
stores as a makeshift office or meeting place because of free and unlimited
Wi-Fi.

Starbucks has launched several platforms where customers can ask

questions, give suggestions, openly express opinions, and share experiences.
Technology helps to implement this feedback, especially in the area of
its rewards program.

Starbucks also uses Apple’s iBeacon system, wherein customers can order a
drink through the Starbucks phone app and get a notification of its readiness
when they walk in the store.

Procurement
Procurement is integrated across various aspects of the supply chain. Porter
discusses procurement as a support activity. Many companies will establish
broad terms, requirements, and standards for all of their procurement
dealings. However, procurement relationships typically vary widely. Starbucks
handles all of the procurement for its own coffee beans, which it sees as one
of its competitive advantages.

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1:19
The Starbucks Value Chain Model (SBUX)
The Bottom Line
The concept of value chain analysis helps business managers to better
identify useful and wasteful activities. By looking beyond standard means of
efficiency analysis while also seeking to integrate and capture value chain
analysis in business metrics, stakeholders can make important insights related
to operational processes.

Overall, value chain analysis can be used to potentially identify value

improvement opportunities throughout various steps of a business cycle, also
adding to improved margin efficiencies.

A new report from FAO says livestock production contributes to the world's most
pressing environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, air
and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Using a methodology that considers
the entire commodity chain, it estimates that livestock are responsible for 18
percent of greenhouse gas emissions, a bigger share than that of transport.
However, the report says, the livestock sector's potential contribution to solving
environmental problems is equally large, and major improvements could be
achieved at reasonable cost.

Based on the most recent data available, Livestock's long shadow takes into

account the livestock sector's direct impacts, plus the environmental effects of
related land use changes and production of the feed crops animals consume. It
finds that expanding population and incomes worldwide, along with changing food
preferences, are stimulating a rapid increase in demand for meat, milk and eggs,
while globalization is boosting trade in both inputs and outputs.

In the process, the livestock sector is undergoing a complex process of technical

and geographical change. Production is shifting from the countryside to urban and
peri-urban areas, and towards sources of animal feed, whether feed crop areas or
transport and trade hubs where feed is distributed. There is also a shift in species,
with accelerating growth in production of pigs and poultry (mostly in industrial
units) and a slow-down in that of cattle, sheep and goats, which are often raised
extensively. Today, an estimated 80 percent of growth in the livestock sector
comes from industrial production systems. Owing to those shifts, the report says,
livestock are entering into direct competition for scarce land, water and other
natural resources.

Deforestation, greenhouse gases. The livestock sector is by far the single largest

anthropogenic user of land. Grazing occupies 26 percent of the Earth's terrestrial
surface, while feed crop production requires about a third of all arable land.
Expansion of grazing land for livestock is a key factor in deforestation, especially
in Latin America: some 70 percent of previously forested land in the Amazon is
used as pasture, and feed crops cover a large part of the reminder. About 70
percent of all grazing land in dry areas is considered degraded, mostly because of
overgrazing, compaction and erosion attributable to livestock activity.

At the same time, the livestock sector has assumed an often unrecognized role in
global warming. Using a methodology that considered the entire commodity
chain (see box below), FAO estimated that livestock are responsible for 18 percent
of greenhouse gas emissions, a bigger share than that of transport. It accounts for
nine percent of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, most of it due to
expansion of pastures and arable land for feed crops. It generates even bigger
shares of emissions of other gases with greater potential to warm the atmosphere:
as much as 37 percent of anthropogenic methane, mostly from enteric fermentation
by ruminants, and 65 percent of anthropogenic nitrous oxide, mostly from manure.
Livestock production also impacts heavily the world's water supply, accounting for
more than 8 percent of global human water use, mainly for the irrigation of feed
crops. Evidence suggests it is the largest sectoral source of water pollutants,
principally animal wastes, antibiotics, hormones, chemicals from tanneries,
fertilizers and pesticides used for feed crops, and sediments from eroded pastures.
While global figures are unavailable, it is estimated that in the USA livestock and
feed crop agriculture are responsible for 37 percent of pesticide use, 50 percent of
antibiotic use, and a third of the nitrogen and phosphorus loads in freshwater
resources. The sector also generates almost two-thirds of anthropogenic ammonia,
which contributes significantly to acid rain and acidification of ecosystems.

The sheer quantity of animals being raised for human consumption also poses a
threat of the Earth's biodiversity. Livestock account for about 20 percent of the
total terrestrial animal biomass, and the land area they now occupy was once
habitat for wildlife. In 306 of the 825 terrestrial eco-regions identified by the
Worldwide Fund for Nature, livestock are identified as "a current threat", while 23
of Conservation International's 35 "global hotspots for biodiversity" - characterized
by serious levels of habitat loss - are affected by livestock production.

Two demands. FAO says "the future of the livestock-environment interface will

be shaped by how we resolve the balance of two demands: for animal food
products on one side and for environmental services on the other". Since the
natural resource base is finite, the huge expansion of the livestock sector required
to meet expanding demand must be accomplished while substantially reducing its
environmental impact.

Greater efficiency in use of resources will be "the key to retracting livestock's long
shadow". Although a host of effective technical options - for resource
management, crop and livestock production, and post harvest reduction of losses -
are available (see box below), current prices of land, water and feed resources used
for livestock production do not reflect true scarcities, creating distortions that
provide no incentive for efficient resource use. "This leads to the overuse of the
resources and to major inefficiencies in the production process," FAO says.
"Future policies to protect the environment will therefore have to introduce
adequate market pricing for the main inputs."

In particular, water is grossly under-priced in most countries, and development of

water markets and various types of cost recovery will be needed to correct the
situation. In the case of land, suggested instruments include grazing fees, and better
institutional arrangements for controlled and equitable access. The removal of
livestock production subsidies is also likely to improve technical efficiency - in
New Zealand, a drastic reduction in agricultural subsidies during the 1980s helped
create one of the world's most efficient and environmentally friendly ruminant
livestock industries.
Removal of price distortions at input and product level will enhance natural
resource use, but may often not be sufficient. Livestock's long shadow says
environmental externalities, both negative and positive, need to be explicitly
factored into the policy framework. Livestock holders who provide environmental
services need to be compensated, either by the immediate beneficiary (such as
downstream users enjoying improved water quantity and quality) or by the general
public. Services that could be rewarded include land management or land uses that
restore biodiversity, and pasture management that provides for carbon
sequestration. Compensation schemes also need to be developed between water
and electricity providers and graziers who adopt grasslands management strategies
that reduce sedimentation of water reservoirs.

Likewise, livestock holders who emit waste into waterways or release ammonia
into the atmosphere should pay for the damage. Applying the "polluter pays"
principle should not present insurmountable problems for offenders, given the
burgeoning demand for livestock products.

Consumer pressure. Finally, FAO says, the livestock sector is usually driven by

diverse policy objectives, and decision-makers find it difficult to address
economic, social, health and environmental issues at the same time. The fact that
so many people depend on livestock for their livelihoods limits the policy options
available, and leads to difficult and politically sensitive trade-offs.

Information, communication and education will play critical roles in enhancing a

"willingness to act". With their strong and growing influence, consumers are likely
to be the main source of commercial and political pressure "to push the livestock
sector into more sustainable forms", Livestock's long shadow says. Already,
growing awareness of threats to the environment is translating into rising demand
for environmental services: "This demand will broaden from immediate concerns -
such as reducing the nuisance of flies and odours - to intermediate demands for
clean air and water, then to the broader, longer-term environmental concerns,
including climate change and loss of biodiversity".

• over the first five years of operation, the

platform received over 150,000 ideas, and
the company put hundreds of them to use.
• create a lot of great product innovations for
Starbucks
• helped to drive increased customer loyalty.
• engaged customers
• By rolling out fan-driven ideas like cake pops
and pumpkin spice lattes,
• Starbucks created greater product diversity.
• By paying attention to customer
preferences, Starbucks was able to hold
its spot as the market leader, even in a
rapidly changing industry like the food
and beverage sector.
• The “My Starbucks Idea” concept was based
on a core belief: customers know what they
want.
• By handing power over to customers, and by
giving them an incentive to participate by
recognizing their ideas, Starbucks was able to
channel a lot of crowd creativity.
• empowering customers to make suggestions
for product improvements meant that
Starbucks had access to new, and potentially
very valuable, ideas. Many of these were
things that would only have occurred to
dedicated customers.
• the platform also helped generate a lot of
media attention and free advertising. By
encouraging die-hard fans to engage online,
Starbucks created a new way to market their
products to their most valuable customer
segment.
• The platform also served as a market
research tool, too.
• y engaging with the company, customers
experienced a greater sense of inclusiveness,
with the platform helping to build a real
community.
• My Starbucks Idea has had tremendous
success and has been the source of ideas
such as Cake Pops, Hazelnut Macchiato, and
free Wi-Fi to name a few. At the five-year
anniversary of the site launch (2013), My
Starbucks Idea had generated more than
150,000 ideas and the company had
implemented 277 of those ideas.
• Incentivizing participation: By actually
implementing the ideas no matter how big or
small, Starbucks incentivizes customers to
 submit ideas and engage with the website.
Additionally, the transparency built into the
website, with a section dedicated to ideas
that have been recommended to key
decision makers and an up-to-date status of
those projects, adds a sense of trust that the
idea isn’t simply being sent into a black box.
Value creation: Starbucks creates value for
customers by allowing them to voice their ideas
and help create a better coffee house
experience. Consumers often feel like their
individual opinions don’t matter when dealing
with a large organization. With My Starbucks
Idea, customers feel like their voice is being
heard and that they can make an impact on the
future of the organization, whether it is new
products, the in-store experience, or the
company’s involvement in the community.
Value capture: I see two forms of value capture
with My Starbucks Idea. One, Starbucks can stay
attuned to what its customers want and create
engagement and loyalty. Two, the company can
help spur innovation within a large organization.
Established companies have been trying to
incentivize intrapreneurship to create innovative
products and stay relevant at a time when start-
ups are disrupting established industries.