During my time at business school, I had the incredible opportunity to work for Impossible Foods. For the summer and throughout my second year, I immersed myself in the mission of this revolutionary company. Impossible Foods was at the forefront of developing plant-based alternatives to traditional animal-based products. During my time working for Impossible, I felt like I had found my true calling. The role combined my love for food, desire to tackle climate change, and my deep held conviction that killing animals is wrong.

Plant-based diets offer a promising solution to the environmental and health challenges we face today. Animal agriculture is responsible for approximately 14.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, surpassing emissions from the entire transportation sector. Additionally, livestock farming occupies about 30 per cent of the Earth’s land surface and is a leading cause of deforestation in critical areas such as the Amazon rainforest. Furthermore, plant-based diets have been linked to numerous health benefits, including lower risks of heart disease, obesity and certain types of cancer.

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Driven by my passion and the desire to make a tangible impact, particularly in the region I grew up in (I was born and raised in Hong Kong), I co-founded KARANA with Dan Riegler, whom I met at a food-tech conference. We shared a common vision and a deep-rooted belief in the need to change our food system. This meant going a level deeper than just plant-based foods but looking at our farming practices and crop selection too. What we’re doing at KARANA is scaling jackfruit as a climate change-fighting supercrop.

What you might not know is is that jackfruit is grown in a regenerative agroforestry model. In contrast, our current food system relies on commodity crops that are grown in a monocrop format leading to soil degradation. We believe that to feed the world and address the degrading effects of our industrial food system, we need crops that regenerate instead of depleting soil. Thus, we turned to jackfruit as our core ingredient and are working to scale it as an ingredient that can compete with commodity crops like soy and wheat, whilst at the same time being grown more sustainably. Our first use case for jackfruit is in plant-based meat. We have created a delicious meat from jackfruit that has a short ingredient list, is minimally processed and offers the benefits of whole-food nutrition. 

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At the core of our philosophy lies regenerative agriculture and agroforestry. Regenerative agriculture is an approach that seeks to restore and enhance the health of the soil, minimise chemical input and increase biodiversity. It goes beyond sustainable farming practices by actively working to regenerate ecosystems and promote soil health.

The importance of biodiversity and regenerative agriculture cannot be overstated. Monocrop agriculture, which involves the large-scale cultivation of a single crop, has become the dominant farming method in many parts of the world. While monocropping may maximise yields in the short term, it has devastating long-term consequences for our environment and the health of our soil. The repeated planting of a single crop depletes essential nutrients from the soil, leading to nutrient imbalances and reduced fertility. In addition, monocropping leaves the soil exposed to erosion and compaction, as well as increases the risk of pests and diseases. The consequences are staggering—according to the United Nations, we are losing 24 billion tons of fertile topsoil each year, at a rate 10 to 40 times faster than it can be naturally replenished. It is estimated we only have 60 years of topsoil left. If nothing is done now, a food and ecological crisis is imminent.

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Regenerative agriculture offers a solution to these pressing issues, it can restore soil health, enhance biodiversity and improve water retention. Studies have shown that regenerative agricultural practices can increase organic matter content in the soil, enhance nutrient cycling and improve the resilience of crops to climate change impacts. Agroforestry, a key component of regenerative agriculture, involves integrating trees into agricultural landscapes. Trees, like jackfruit trees, help stabilise the soil, prevent erosion and improve water infiltration. They also contribute to the diversification of crops and provide habitat for wildlife, fostering biodiversity on farmlands.

The presence of trees can enhance carbon sequestration, mitigating the effects of climate change. Agroforestry systems not only promote ecological balance but also provide additional economic opportunities for farmers through the production of timber, fruits, nuts and other valuable tree products. By embracing regenerative agriculture and agroforestry, we hope to restore the health of our ecosystems, protect our soils and build a more sustainable and resilient food system for generations to come. It is precisely having this impact that keeps me going—and as a bonus, I am following my dad’s advice and doing something I’m truly passionate about.

This piece is part of a collaboration between Tatler Asia and Young Presidents’ Organisation (YPO), a global leadership community of chief executives, which counts more than thirty thousand individuals from 142 countries among its members.

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