The Rise of Plant Power in Hong Kong | Korea Times

Walk into any cafe in Hong Kong, and customers are likely to find a permutation of skim, soy, almond and oat milk as possible substitutes for whole milk. Just five years ago, baristas would have staunchly shaken their heads if anyone deigned to seek an alternative creamer for their latte.

Lactose intolerance aside, the expansion to include non-dairy options in cafes belies a wider phenomenon: the growth of plant-based eating in Hong Kong.

A 2018 study by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre found that the average Hongkonger consumes about 103 kg of meat annually, making it one of the highest per capita intakes in the world ― more than either the United States or the United Kingdom.

Last year, the global average meat consumption per capita per year was 43.7 kg.

However, an increasing number of people in Hong Kong are adopting "green eating," citing benefits for health, animal rights and environmental sustainability. A survey conducted by Green Monday, a social enterprise movement aimed at promoting a vegetarian lifestyle, found that around 24% of Hong Kong's population practices a "flexitarian" diet, replacing animal meats with plant-based proteins like tofu and legumes at least some of the time.

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Read my full article on the Korea Times website.