Asia Insider Minute - Food Inc.

It’s that funny time of year where we find ourselves sandwiched between the Christmas season on the one end and Chinese New Year on the other. 

Over the course of my thirty years in Asia, I’ve come to appreciate this 4-5 week “in-between” period as a time to reflect on all that has occurred and all that has yet to come. It includes huddling up with friends and colleagues and talking things through. More often than not, food is involved. Stuffed turkey or pork dumplings, it matters not. The holidays mean food and lots of it, sometimes for weeks on end.   

My mid-riff is the only evidence on hand, but here’s the point: Whether American or Chinese, French or Indonesian, we all imbibe in the culture of food and the delight in offers. 

Increasingly, however, the source of our favorite foods are less known to us. For most, plucking vegetables from the home garden or slaughtering the fatted calf are chores reminiscent of a by-gone era. Grocery stores are the modern-day go-to. The source of most of our nutrition needs. But what exactly does that mean? Or more importantly, what – if anything – are we giving up by relying on middle-men and retailers to source the food we rely on?

In our most recent episode of Inside Asia, I talk to Sasha Conlan, Founder and Owner of Singapore-based Sasha’s Fine Foods. She says rising consciousness, growing concerns around processed foods, and a simple, healthy desire for farm-fresh products are creating new opportunities for small business owners that can deliver. She’s just one of thousands of natural food entrepreneurs that sees problems – and therefore opportunities – in offering products that aren’t planted, harvested, processed and sold by the multi-trillion dollar food industry. 

While it’s true that compared to fifty years ago, a smaller percentage of household income is spent on food, there’s more to this story. Mass industrialization of the food sector, creation of global supply-chains, and the introduction of high-tech processing and packaging have combined to lower costs, while extending shelf life and reducing wastage. For consumers, that means a vast variety and lower prices. But what’s good for the wallet isn’t necessarily good for the body. A recent slew of studies reveals that highly processed foods that are typically higher in sugar, fats and empty calories, lead to the early onset of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, cancer and even depression. 

Worst of all, the food industry knows it and national food protection agencies from the US to China aren’t doing anything about it. Why? Because they make food affordable. It’s a matter of economics. As long as food manufacturers can crank out a tasty – albeit unhealthy – product that people want to buy, there’s nothing to prevent them from doing so.

The poorest class are the hardest hit. The fast food industry has capitalized on it. In the US, the price point for a family size bucket of chicken, French fries and a bevy of biscuits is less than what it would cost to go to the store, buy groceries and prepare a meal. It’s fast too! 

You see the problem? You can call it clever marketing, but it smacks of predatory behavior to me. Not sure? Take a look at the Pizza Hut Dinner Box for $8.99. This dinner – if you can call it that - comes with a single-top pizza, five breadsticks, marinara sauce – for dipping, I assume – and 10 cinnamon sticks. I guess that counts as dessert. I’m sorry, but who thinks up these menus? Someone’s buying, so it must be good, right?

But why am I talking about fast-food deals in the US? Because if it worked there, it can work here, and if you think the Kings of Processed Foods aren’t targeting Asia’s rising middle class, think again. 

Already there’s an alarming rate of rising obesity in this part of the world, particularly among children. According to the UN Food & Agricultural Organization, the number of overweight children in the region rose 38% between 2000 and 2016. That’s not only bad for the children. It’s bad for the economy. The Asia Development Bank points out that obesity links directly to poor health. That – in turn – puts a lean on healthcare spend, and that’s something that many Asian countries just can’t afford.

The point is this: If affordability is the only factor guiding food consumption, then say hello to the prospect of an ever-expanding Asia waistline. We talk on this podcast about how Asia has “leap-frogged” the West in so many ways. Telecom. Infrastructure. Digital Payments. I can go on... 

The Food Industry and its relentless drive to create and sell non-food products at low prices is not your friend.  Their assorted products might taste good, but so much of this stuff is just downright bad for you. Before I start to sound like your mother, consider this: While the average Asian diet still remains far healthier than its Western counterpart, now is the time to remain vigilant. Feed – don’t fatten – your families. There’s hope, and it comes in the form of small agribusinesses like Sasha’s. She and others are looking to make a dent in the food industry and offer a path back to real food and good nutrition.  There’s nothing wrong with affordability, but when given a choice, think healthy too.

That’s it for this week’s episode of Inside Asia. I hope you’ve enjoyed the conversation. If you don’t have time to listen to every episode, but want to stay connected to the many ideas and themes presented by our guests, please subscribe to the Inside Asia Newsletter. We track Asia in transition and each week deliver new insights, point you to reliable resources, and showcase episodes on related topics. To subscribe, go to www.insideasiaadvisors.com. Scroll to the bottom of the homepage, fill in your name and email, and start receiving our weekly update. 

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