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Hi there,
Ever since I got hooked on Hot Ones, a popular internet game show, my cravings for spicy chicken wings have increased significantly. I find myself magically on food delivery apps flipping through plates of wings from different restaurants.
This is definitely not a good sign for someone trying to follow a diet plan. While I’m a meat lover, I do want to eat healthy and do my part to go green. That got me thinking: Could I have my meat pie and eat it too?
That’s when I stumbled upon alternative proteins or faux meat.
I was surprised to find out through a report by my colleague, Nikita, how these plant-based or cell-based meat products are now not only making their way to shelves at local stores in Southeast Asia but have also become the main ingredients in popular dishes at restaurants and even food hawkers.
The rising interest has pushed VC funding in the sector to a record high – investments into alternative meat startups in Southeast Asia grew by 92% to US$312 million in 2021.
Nikita’s report goes on to explore one of the key challenges that alternative protein startups are facing: price parity.
While the taste may be subjective, these faux meat products certainly come at a higher price than animal-based meat products – something that has built a barrier to regular adoption. Our Big Story dives deep to understand how startups in this segment are looking to solve the problem.
Speaking about problems, Southeast Asia’s travel and tourism industry – which was on the cusp of making a comeback in 2022 – is about to run into some turbulence ahead.
The fresh outbreak of Covid-19 in China has not only affected tourism in the country, but it is also a cause for concern for inbound tourists coming to Southeast Asia. China accounts for the largest chunk of inbound tourists to the region.
Besides this, the ongoing Ukraine war and another Covid-19 wave are some of the other dark clouds on the horizon for Southeast Asia’s tourism industry. We discuss more on what is making waves this week.
— Collin
THE BIG STORY
Alt meat-makers race for palatable prices
MAKING WAVES
NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW
FYI
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