Ted Audio Collective.

I'm Elise Hugh, it's TED Talks Daily.

Each part of China offers such vast menus

of creative, delicious cuisine

that just thinking about it is making my stomach growl.

But in our quest to tackle climate change, getting the Chinese

market to switch to plant-based alternatives is vital. In his 2023 talk from the TED

countdown summit, Impact Investor Taq Jao offers an on-the-ground look at

getting mainstream Chinese consumers to switch to new proteins after the break.

My wife is the last person in the world who would consider me a foodie type of person.

She's always puzzled at why sometimes I couldn't even tell the difference between beef and pork

when shopping or eating. So a few years ago when I told her that I found my calling

in food as an impact investor, she was shocked and thought I had a midlife crisis.

But the impact logic behind my midlife crisis or midlife epiphany is simple.

Given its size and reach, there's no way the world can achieve

its climate goals without engaging China in a significant way.

This is why I've spent much my career

focused on supporting environmental entrepreneurs in China,

mainly in industrial space, things like energy or recycling.

But I've always wondered about how to reach the vast number of Chinese consumers.

I found my answer in alternative proteins.

Or what we prefer to call new proteins nowadays in China.

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