Plant-Based Food or food from plant protein is a new alternative for the future of the food industry. It is considered an environmentally friendly food that also meets health and environmental issues.
Mr. Dan Pathomwanich is a new generation executive, CEO of NR Instant Produce Public Company Limited ( NRF ) , a leader in the production of Specialty Food that combines taste and health with new technologies.
He is a businessman who created one of the first plant-based food businesses in Thailand. He fully believes that we can fight global warming by using food as a tool because food produced from plants emits only 1/10 of the greenhouse gases produced from meat.
However, Dan’s commitment goes beyond simply reducing carbon emissions, one of the greenhouse gases that causes global warming. He wants to push NRF to become a Clean Food Tech Company and reach the point of carbon negative emissions, which is a very challenging goal.
Dan’s business perspective is interesting, as is his attitude and commitment. How many executives are so proactive about addressing climate change in both their business and personal lives? Over the years, he has spoken out on various global platforms to raise awareness and has invested in carbon credits to offset his daily greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
From entrepreneur to climate change activist, Dan talks to us about the challenges of running a profitable company while helping the world reduce greenhouse gases. In a world that is changing rapidly in every aspect, how new-age workers need to adapt and what actions to take to make our work and lives part of creating a sustainable world.
When our work helps save the world
Our global food system today is unsustainable, emitting 30 percent of all industrial greenhouse gas emissions.
Each year, livestock production is in large quantities to meet consumer demand. One of the processes of livestock production is the process of fattening animals to get fat and protein. It requires a lot of space, resources and energy. That is why the food system creates a lot of greenhouse gases. More importantly, every day, millions of cows release methane from their bodies through “farts” and “burps”. But in fact, it is so much that it is considered another source of serious greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
“By 2050, the world could reach 10 billion people,” Dan explains. “The question then becomes, how do we feed that many people? That’s the big challenge for humanity, and I think sustainable consumption, changing supply chains and production, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, are key to solving this problem.”
In today’s world where we are facing various crises, we are all involved in one problem or another. The question is, once we know what the problem is, will we choose to solve it?
As a food business executive, Dan immediately set out to make his company a vehicle for transforming the food system to be less greenhouse gas emitting, more environmentally friendly and sustainable, in order to solve this problem.
Sustainability that everyone in the team creates together
“We will produce and distribute Plant-Based Food products with standard quality at competitive prices on a global level. We are aiming this way because the production process of plant-based food, which provides both nutrients and protein that are no less than meat, emits 1/10 less greenhouse gases than animal-based food.”
If you follow the news closely, you will see that the current development direction of various countries is giving importance to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The fact that Mr. Dan started moving towards Plant-Based Food as one of the first in Thailand is a vision and a decisive decision that executives and current employees must use as an example.
“We are one of the few companies in Thailand that signed a contract to reduce carbon emissions, one of the greenhouse gases, to keep global temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Today, NRF is the first and only food factory certified as carbon neutral in Thailand. This has a positive effect on consumers, especially abroad. For example, supermarkets in the US put our products on their shelves instead of many other products because we are more environmentally friendly.”
However, Dan’s goal of driving the food system forward is never-ending. Once the first milestone is achieved, the next step is to expand, branching out into a sustainability network. Now in its fifth year, going into its sixth, his administration is focused on building a culture of shared growth, empowering his global team of 1,500 to see the importance of a sustainable food system. When everyone on the team is on the same page, the organization moves in the right direction, and quickly.
“Our new goal now is to become a Global Clean Food Tech Company. We will not only be carbon neutral, but we will reach the point of carbon negative.”
Working with only win-win outcomes
Dan went on to explain NRF’s strategy to become carbon negative, saying, “We use technology to help develop food. How can we emit less pollution and greenhouse gases, but still maintain the same quality and deliciousness? Plus, it’s even healthier. All of this is about technology. Similarly, we also use technology to reduce carbon emissions.”
Another mission Dan and NRF are now on is to develop biocarbon from zero-value agricultural waste, which is normally burned as farmers prepare their land for the next crop season. These agricultural wastes are abundant all over the world, and burning them is one of the main sources of PM2.5 pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from combustion.
“Therefore, we use advanced technology in this process to add value by transforming agricultural waste such as corn cobs into biocarbon, which is a type of biochar that, when buried, increases the soil’s potential, allowing it to absorb water 3-4 times better, resulting in higher yields per rai. Instead of corn cobs being burned, they are transformed into biocarbon, which is like a factory that captures greenhouse gases and prevents them from escaping into the atmosphere.”
Every action has meaning.
In addition to his role as an investor and executive who creates changes to make the food system more sustainable by generating profits for the company while solving global crises, and has been mentioned in many international publications including Time, Forbes, Bloomberg and CNN, Dan is also a Climate Actor who seriously promotes low-carbon living. He has been invited as a speaker at many global sustainability forums, such as COP26, the world’s largest climate mitigation forum, held in Glasgow last year.
Dan explained that many people still think that global warming is not about them. The polar ice caps are melting and disasters are happening on other continents and will not reach Thailand. In fact, global warming affects us in almost every dimension. The closest thing is food. So the first thing you need to realize is that it definitely affects you.
“Don’t think that small changes in your daily behavior won’t solve this problem. If we all make small changes together, we can help the world. For me, when I go to my office on the 6th floor, I avoid using the elevator and take the stairs instead. It’s only a few minutes different. Sometimes walking is faster than taking the elevator, and you get exercise and save energy. Imagine if everyone thought the same way as me, took the BTS, opened the windows and turned off the air conditioner. The whole world would reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from that energy use by a lot in one day.”
Dan added that we can all save the world from 3 meals a day, support farmers and food producers who are environmentally responsible, or try to reduce your meat intake and switch to eating Plant-Based Food. Now in Thailand, there are both small and large entrepreneurs who have developed many recipes that are just as delicious as real meat. And there are not only meat alternatives, but also plant-based milk alternatives. The environment is better and your health is better because plant-based foods do not contain cholesterol.
“What I am trying to do is create a platform for the global food and agriculture industry, as well as create a platform and network for Thai SMEs who are both talented and creative in food development. We now have alt.Eatery, which has partnered with many small entrepreneurs who make plant-based food. The more shops we have, the more we can expand this to reach more people, the more diverse our products are, and the more entrepreneurs can market it.”
“When people eat more plant-based foods, we produce less greenhouse gases,” Dan concluded. “The direct beneficiaries are the business people, but the real long-term beneficiaries are all human beings on Earth.”
We adapt, the world changes. The Next Generation: Save the world with a low-carbon food system.
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We adjust, the world changes The Next Generation because we all can “change” the world for the better. Meet many ideas and actions from the new generation who have risen up to “adjust” their thinking and take action to jointly create a sustainable world.
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