While many people have stepped up on numerous occasions, advocating for a climate-friendly lifestyle is not easy to transition to. In terms of food, the lack of vegan options, having to eat food that doesn’t taste as good, and the significant expenses may deter people from a vegan lifestyle. This is not just a vacuum in the market, but a gaping hole in our communities that restricts choices for those who choose to put the environment first. 

Following are excerpts from the interview:

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Could you please introduce yourself and tell us about your brand, Plant Based Studios?

Hi, I’m Sahan from Plant Based Studios and we make food products from plants.

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‍What’s the story behind your brand?

I saw myself being potentially vegan after being inspired by a Netflix documentary called ‘Game Changers’. My wife Anna and I decided to go vegan, but could last only three days due to limited options in the market. I really did not want to give up, so I changed my restrictions into boundaries that could be pushed as far as possible and created a brand; a brand that would explore the science of vegan food and bring to the table a variety of delicious treats that could be enjoyed by all, which, most importantly, are vegan and healthy. Thus, Plant Based was born – a brand aiming to provide a wider variety of options to vegans through products like vegan chicken, vegan sausages, cheese, spicy chips to snack on, and so much more.

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How do your products support ethical, sustainable and climate-friendly food choices?

What’s unique about our brand is we try to make plant-based products which are clean. They don’t have any additives or synthetics, which is good for the environment, the planet, pets, and the consumers – people – as well. What’s unique is that all our products are made from plant-based ingredients. For example, we have a signature product which is a vegan patty made from young jackfruit and mushroom.

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What does sustainability mean to you?

What sustainability  means to me and the brand is doing the right thing. Apart from using plant-based ingredients, all our products are sustainable,  because we try to utilise ingredients which have a minimal impact or negative impact on the environment.

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How can EthicalX help you in achieving these goals?

Through EthicalX, we want to partner and collaborate with like-minded entities and individuals to see what we can do together to take current sustainability practices to another level. So far, I have had the privilege of attending events hosted by EthicalX, which has been an amazing place to connect with likeminded entities and organisations operating in the same space.

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SLYCAN Trust launched the EthicalX programme in January 2022 to enhance Sri Lanka’s start-up ecosystem and strengthen ethical, sustainable, and climate-friendly entrepreneurship on all levels. Through Climate & Innovation Hubs, EthicalX provides capacity-building and technical support for entrepreneurs at various stages of their business development, with a special focus on plant-based food systems.

The EthicalX Food Systems Cell comprises talented and well-rounded entrepreneurs with a common interest in enhancing their capacities, expanding their network, and promoting sustainable and ethical food systems through their enterprises.

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