Here at Omise, we have always looked into ways to be more eco-friendly around the office. Whether its replacing single-use plastics to reusable cutleries in our kitchen or organizing events like coral planting off the coast in Chonburi - the goal always stayed intact.

Through knowledge sharing, we want to empower and educate one another on the importance of creating a more sustainable future, for ourselves and for the next generations.

On this Earth Day, we know there is no greater way to spread awareness about the positive impact of a plant-based diet and how it helps in reducing our carbon footprint.

We have invited Maricel Lukkanit, an international vegan chef and founder of Vegan Crush Nutrition, to come and speak about the health and environmental benefits of eating a more plant-based diet. We also got to whip up delicious recipes along the way.

Where’s the beef?

Researchers at the University of Oxford found that cutting meat and dairy products from your diet could reduce an individual's carbon footprint from food by up to 73%. On top of an impressive decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, it also leaves more wild land free from agriculture, which is one of the primary causes of mass wildlife extinction.

By 2050, the world’s population can approach 10 billion. Around 60% more food can be needed to feed everyone, and this raises immense challenges.

“Something that was grown in misery and despair can not be a source of health and vibrancy. If we decide to eat fewer meals with meat or dairy each week, we can have a huge impact on our collective health and the health of the planet.” said Maricel.

What’s cooking?

During the class, we made zesty pasta with cashew beetroot sauce followed by sweet almond coconut bliss balls. Maricel shares that “it’s about doing small incremental changes consistently in your daily life that will make a difference”.

We served zucchini completely raw, and that means the most al-dente noodles possible. Spiralizing, mixing with beetroot sauce and serving - we cooked a dish without actually cooking. Almond coconut bliss balls were an absolute bliss after a busy working day. Keeping around these healthy, wholesome snacks for an energy boost are a great idea, especially if it only takes 10 minutes to make.

What’s next?

With the pandemic outside, a lot of companies have made eco-friendly efforts without even realizing it. Omise has always welcomed remote-work style, limiting carbon emission for business travel and commuting to the office. It’s also an important initiative to educate our teams about plant-based diet because it involves making changes we can all control.

We tend to feel that in order to see change, we need to do a lot. In reality, starting with something small and gradually moving up is easier to keep-up with and follow through.

We know that going vegan sounds scary but it’s also one of the major decision actions that is accessible to everyone. Having power over what we put on our plate everyday is a climate action that, if combined with other small steps, will eventually add up to reducing our individual’s carbon impact.