No more porkies. Can Omnipork convince 1 billion people to eat less meat?
Hong Kong entrepreneur David Yeung founded his startup Green Monday to combat climate change through plant-based meat. But is China ready to give up its beloved pork?
Bring your oven gloves. The competition for plant-based meat is heating up
Oh, and bring an apron, too. Beetroot juice stains.
The rise of plant-based food has been well-publicised. Industry giants Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are leading the charge, and a few weeks ago I wrote about another contender, THIS, a UK-based company which is tearing it up (here for those who missed it).
But there’s a dark horse in the race for plant-based domination.
With Omnipork, a versatile pork replacement, Green Monday is tackling the biggest market of them all: China.
What do Omnipork and Corona have in common?
They both resulted from people eating animals in China.
Pigs, not bats, in Omnipork’s case. But still, we can let that slide.
Annual pork sales in China are worth an eye-watering $118bn (half the global market). That equates to 450 million pigs – and a whole load of greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution plus a bunch of other nasty stuff.
It also represents a mahoosive opportunity – one which Omnipork is pouncing on.
The exact size of the opportunity is up for debate, however. It’s easy to look at the total addressable market and think ‘if Omnipork could get just 1% of the market, that would be a not-too-shabby $1.1bn in annual revenue’. But without justifying how they can capture any market share, such speculation is total hogwash.
And China is a tough nut to crack. Even with a realistic and affordable pork substitute, Green Monday faces a big challenge in acquiring customers.
Overcoming cultural barriers
We humans are creatures of habit. Our cultural behaviours are hard to shake, and we’re especially sensitive when it comes to what we eat. For plant-based companies in the West, overcoming this cultural barrier is half the battle.
For Green Monday, the barrier is even taller. More like a wall. A Great Wall, if you may.
In China, meat goes beyond sensory pleasure or even culture: it’s a status symbol.
Previously meat was a luxury only those in the upper echelons of society could afford. Around 40 years ago, meat consumption averaged 13kg per person per year. After decades of economic growth, the average is now five times that. Eating meat is a sign of affluence; vegetarianism – a reminder of past hardships.
Displacing the stigma around plant-based fare will take time, so Yeung is betting on younger generations to accelerate the shift. Unlike their elder relatives, they have never experienced poverty, so meat should carry less meaning for them. They are the obvious target market.
And, whisper it quietly, but in spite of recent tensions between China and the West, Chinese consumers embrace Western brands and trends. Granted some miss the mark, but Apple, Starbucks, Adidas and Pizza Hut are just a few examples that come to mind of foreign companies that are killing it in China.
As meat alternatives gain popularity abroad, China may follow closely behind.
Don’t try to drive traffic, go where the traffic already is
Green Monday started out with a vertical play, owning the design, manufacture, retail and distribution of Omnipork. It owns hundreds of restaurants and supermarkets across Asia, and a line of 50 products (of which Omnipork is the most high-profile).
But by definition, the majority of people going into Green Monday-owned stores are already eco-conscious; they likely consume very little meat anyway. Reaching customers who would otherwise be buying pork products is the real benchmark of success.
And to do that, Omnipork must be available everywhere. Creating alternative distribution channels is key for them to grow sales.
Omnipork has launched partnerships with major retailers across China such as:
Tmall, Alibaba’s B2C giant (and world’s 3rd most-visited website) to sell Omnipork online
Taco Bell in Shanghai (Omnipork crunchwrap anyone?)
McDonalds in HK and Macau
Even outside of China, Omnipork is establishing a foothold, selling plant-based dumplings with Bafang Yunji, Taiwan’s biggest fast-food chain. It’s fair to say they were a hit - over 1 million units were sold in the first week alone.
Omnichannel Omnipork…for omnivores.
Government policies may give Omnipork a boost
Green Monday’s ambitions may be spurred on by an unlikely source: Xi Jinping.
The Chinese President’s Healthy China 2030 vision, alongside the ‘Clean Plate’ campaign to reduce food waste will increase focus on the quantity and, crucially, the quality of food China consumes. If Omnipork can position themselves as a healthier than traditional pork, this can play into their hands.
In another policy objective, the Chinese government has outlined a plan to reduce the nation’s meat consumption by 50%. Should the objective be achieved, greenhouse emissions from China’s livestock industry would fall by 1bn tonnes by 2030, from a projected 1.8bn tonnes in that year. Again, Omnipork look poised to benefit.
Direct government support may be a poisoned chalice, however. In Hong Kong – which has experienced a year of anti-government protests – this is particularly true.
Whilst locals live in fear of a mainland crackdown, it’s hard to imagine them paying much attention to what they put in their mouths.
In their position, tear gas is a more urgent issue than greenhouse gases.