Author / Liu Lu

This week, Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) met Dr. David Welch, Director of Science and Technology, Good Food Institute (GFI) and Elaine Siu, its Managing Director. Together, they had a relevant discussion on plant-based food research and more importantly, planned further exchanges cooperation on science and technology in this area with more Chinese scientists and with Chinese universities.

Since its Good Food Fund was established, food problem, health, living conditions of mankind of animals and related environmental issues have been paid a special focus by CBCGDF. “How to eat healthily and sustainably”, “how or what to eat that can cause less burden to the earth and all living creatures” and “how can enhance public awareness and help people to enjoy healthy food habits” are what we have been trying hard to address.

With the focus and these targets, CBCGDF Good Food Fund organized a round talk summit attended by experts from China and United States. During the summit, Dr. Zhou stressed that unhealthy consumption behavior in food would cause a detrimental change in food resources, fresh water, forests, agriculture and climate and suggested universities to take the lead in promoting policy and mind change. Moreover, Rafi Taherian, Executive Director of Yale Dining and Tim Ryan, President of Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and CBCGDF International Advisor were respectively invited in Fudan University and Peking University to share their valuable ideas in good food and enhance young people’s awareness.

The CBCGDF’s visitor, Good Food Institute (GFI), launched in February 2016, is a US-based non-profitable organization that promotes plant-based meat, dairy and egg and egg substitute as well as clean-meat alternatives to the products of conventional animal agriculture. As introduced by Dr. David Welch and Elaine Siu, GFI works to develop a food system in which products are affordable, delicious, healthy and environment-friendly by providing strategic support to companies, fostering the next generation of innovators, educating institutions and promoting plant-based products. Science, technology, research and innovation are significant elements stressed by Dr. David Welch.

Good Food Institute not only shares common ground with our CBCGDF Good Food Fund in name but also in some strategic views that both believe that education, research, fostering and promoting each forms necessary indispensable link in developing good food. Dr. David Welch stressed that regarding this area we need to know where the technology is, what the technology barriers are and what stop the related industries from moving forward more quickly. He mentioned that his team had spent time working on plant-based meat (or clean meat) research, and on cell and other relevant biologic engineering, and potentials in this area are yet to fully tapped. He said that in China there are many really talented scientists working in areas that are adjacent but not all of them are aware this new area yet. And he sincerely hoped to cooperate with Dr. Zhou Jinfeng to gather more scientists and experts in China, who are interested in this area to promote relevant research and to collaborate with universities and help related industries.

In their dialogue, Dr. Zhou Jinfeng introduced CBCGDF’s work in promoting good food, including how we enhance public awareness especially among young people, how we attract people’s engagement in biodiversity conservation and environmental protection through promoting good food and how to shape good food culture in China. Importantly, Dr. Zhou expressed his willingness to work with GFI in universities where nurture brilliant experts, scientists and young mind. He said that, China is young yet potential country in developing plant-based products and good food, and there have been very few studies research regarding this area so far; given that, it is all the important for Chinese scientists to explore and cooperate with overseas institutes like GFI. Additionally, he also shared his experiences in cooperating with CIA, Yale University, Georgetown University, Peking University, Fudan University, etc. and he mentioned that young people are the main force and represent the growing trend in this area.

To support this idea, Dr. David Welch added that his team would like to provide lectures and curricula to Chinese universities. And Ms. Elaine Siu said that GFI would like to help Chinese scientists to get funding in their research and provide Chinese industries with scientific and technological information.

CBCGDF Good Food Fund is committed to related research, information promotion, policymaking and proposals, training, public education and industrial incubation of food system. It aims to promote healthy and sustainable food production, sale and consumption so as to improve environmental conditions, people’s health and living conditions of animals. Sharing the vision of creating a healthy, humane, sustainable and environmental food supply and culture, CBCGDF and GFI are looking forward to next meetings, together with more scientists and researchers from Chinese universities.

Dr. Zhou emphasized sustainable eating in the Good Food Fund's University Logistics Roundtable.

(Photo: CBCGDF)