Designing Better Plant-Based and Alternative Proteins with Sonalie Figueiras

New Food Order

How might we design plant-based, cultivated meat, and precision fermented alternative proteins in the most people and planet friendly ways?

In our second design episode, we speak with Sonalie Figueiras, a Hong Kong-based social entrepreneur and founder and the Editor in Chief of Green Queen, a sustainability and impact media platform that educates millions of readers on the connection between health, sustainability and the environment and showcases future solutions from Asia and across the globe. She is also the co-founder and CEO of organic sourcing platform Ekowarehouse and climate tech SaaS Source Green, which helps consumer brands quit plastic packaging thanks to proprietary plastic reduction software. And she’s an advisor to multiple mission-driven startups and NGOs, and a venture partner to several VC funds.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The complexity of designing people and planet friendly products
• Sonalie’s 5 product design principles
• The good and the bad of plant-based products
• Sonalie’s take on slowing plant-based sales
• Why plant-based companies need to focus on the human ethics of their supply chain
• How biotech companies might think about designing people and planet friendly products
• Why governments need to invest in cultivated meat and precision fermentation technology

Show Notes

• Green Queen: https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/
• Source Green: www.sourcegreen.co
• Design Episode with Julia Collins
• Natural Fiber Welding: https://www.naturalfiberwelding.com/
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) Circular Economy & Big Food Redesign: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/food/overview
• UNLIMEAT: https://unlimeat.co/
• What Questions Should We Be Asking About Cell-Based Meats? https://www.forbes.com/sites/errolschweizer/2021/05/06/what-questions-should-we-be-asking-about-cell-based-meats/
• What Consumers Should Ask About Precision Fermentation: https://www.forbes.com/sites/errolschweizer/2022/03/02/what-should-consumers-be-asking-about-precision-fermentation/
• Asia Pacific Cultivated Protein Alliance: https://www.apac-sca.org/

*Giveaway Details*

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This series is sponsored by Foodshot Global & New Hope Network

New Hope Network

New Hope Network is a media, events and business intelligence company, covering natural products trends, industry insights and marketplace data that educate the industry about key issues, like regenerative agriculture, sustainability, responsible sourcing and more. Visit newhope.com.

FoodShot Global

FoodShot leverages resources from investors around the world to provide non-dilutive, equity, and post-investment capacities to innovators. Find out more at foodshot.org.

Production: Cam Gray, Cofruition

Audio Editing: Tevin Sudi

Original Music: Rodrigo Barbera