Most of us are already familiar with the numerous long-term health benefits of shifting to a plant-based diet. These days, the internet is teeming with scientific evidence on how a plant-based diet lowers blood pressure (thereby reducing the risk of stroke), reduces cognitive decline, improves heart health, keeps weight down, helps you live longer, and can, quite possibly stave off type 2 diabetes and even cancer.

But there’s another important reason for going plant-based: The simple act of eating more fruits and veggies (while lessening meat) is actually good for the economy too.

With such trends as the increasing intolerance for animal protein, the growing number of practicing vegetarians and vegans, new consumer aspirations, and significant venture investments in this sector, the plant-based food market is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.9% from 2020 to 2027. By then, the global market is estimated to reach a whopping $74.2 billion. In Asia Pacific (APAC), the market is expected to be around $30B by 2027 at a CAGR of 18.9%.

Here are three ways a plant-based diet can help the economy.

It can generate millions of jobs. Growing plant-based foods through sustainable farming practices could also generate as many as 19 million new jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean, a region which holds 40 percent of the world’s biodiversity and is one of the world’s leading food exporters.

That’s the finding of a pioneering study conducted by the International Labor Organization and Inter-American Development Bank. According to the study, shifting to a plant-based diet would open up millions of jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean, whose citizens struggle to make ends meet, given the devastating effects of natural calamities and the ongoing pandemic on their economy. With the tourism and trade sectors on hold, farming has become a viable source of livelihood.

Here in the Philippines, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has already recognized the global demand for plant-based products. They are encouraging exporters to grab this opportunity to expand their businesses, which will eventually help provide more jobs for Filipinos.

It can keep people healthy and productive. Research from Ghent University in Belgium revealed that committing to a plant-based diet will likely make people stay healthy and live longer. This means fewer trips to the hospital and more time to be productive at work.

It also translates to huge savings from medical costs. For example, hypertension medicines are considered to be one of the most expensive in the Philippines. In fact, a 2008 study reported that Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) had reimbursed $56 million for 444,628 hospitalizations for hypertension-related diagnoses incurred by 360,016 patients. Several studies have already shown that a simple switch to plant-based diet can reduce blood pressure, lowering risks for hypertension and associated health issues like heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

It’s gentler on the planet. Did you know that the 1.7 billion animals used in livestock production worldwide occupy more than a quarter of the Earth’s land? Or that one third of the Earth’s total arable land is used to produce animal feed, and that our freshwater resources are fast being depleted by the animal agricultural industry’s high demand for water?

Meanwhile, a study underscored that plant-based meat alternatives produced substantially lower emissions than actual meat, creating ten times less greenhouse gas emissions than producing meat-based products. The research team factored in environmental impacts of farming wheat and soy—calculating use of fertilizer, pesticides, water, and energy used for cultivation, harvesting, and transportation and tracking emissions in every step of the food production process.

Shifting to a plant-based diet is not only a smart health choice, it’s also something that allows you to contribute to the greater good. The next question really is: Where do you start?

To successfully make the switch from heavy meat eater to plant-based foodie, start by gradually reducing the amount of animal meat in your meals and replacing them with fruits or vegetables or a wide variety of plant-based dishes that use actual veggies. Taste is key to staying the course. Try recipes and ready-made dishes with healthy and flavorful ingredients. Too busy to prepare plant-based dishes?

Incorporate plant-based products into your meals by having some superfood powders like Sekaya Raw Actives that you can easily mix into your drinks and dishes and botanical blends like Sekaya Botanic Infusion that you can enjoy anytime of the day.

Sekaya Botanic Infusion is available at Shinagawa Pharmacy!

Call our Patient Care Lines: (+632) 7-368 5238 l (+63) 917 862 7454 l (+63) 921 217 0517 for inquiries and questions, or talk to our pharmacists via LiveChat here on our online pharmacy.