“Locally sourced”, “organic”, “sustainable”… we see these F&B buzzwords almost everywhere we go. Some of us find them appealing. Some of us are even willing to pay extra for these labels. But most of us don’t know what they really mean, or the depth of the impact buying these foods have. So we decided to reach out to one of Hong Kong’s food heroes – Larry Tang – to get some insights. As the founder of Locofama Group, a community-centric business that champions fresh local organic produce, Larry sees the supply chain through from farm to table, and here’s what we learned.

Q.

The definition of “local produce” seems to vary country by country. Could you share your interpretation with us?

A.

According to Food Made Good, the distance radius used to define “local” in the UK is 80km, and in Hong Kong, it’s 500km. So yes, things can get a bit complicated here. If you go to the wet market and look for the “local produce” label, it usually means the source is coming from somewhere in China. Most people assume “Hong Kong local”, but that’s not the case, because we’re only consuming around 2-3% of food from Hong Kong. In Locofama group, we use the term “SLOW”, which stands for sustainability, local, organic, and wellness. These are the four pillars that we invest our time and money in. And when we use the term “local”, we DO mean Hong Kong. 

Q.

Locofama group was one the first businesses that put “sustainability” on the Hong Kong food map. How strongly did people resonate with this term when you first started Locofama in 2013, and how have the mindsets changed over the years?

A.

I actually did not get into this business thinking sustainability would play such a big role. I started Locofama because people around me got sick, so my entry point was very much about health and wellness. Back then we had to import a lot of meat and seafood because it was hard to find good quality organic meat locally – wild-caught salmon and tuna had to be shipped from overseas – so sustainability wasn’t really part of the picture, until two years into the business when we started doing events. 

I remember people getting upset at us for using plastic straws and wanting to know how we handled our wastage. Since how we measure the success of our brand is based on how much positive impact we can generate, it was clear to us that if sustainability is where the consumers are headed, then we’re going on that journey with them.

Q.

The cost of sustainable and organic food is a real barrier for some of us. Do you have any advice or tips for people who want to lead a healthier lifestyle but just can’t afford it?

A.

My tip would be to plan and commit ahead of time. Think of it like purchasing an airplane ticket. If you don’t want to pay the last-minute premium price, you have to plan ahead. 

According to the government, the average monthly food expense per person is around HKD$2,500. I’m sure we all know people who spend a lot more than that, which means there are people who spend far less. It was never my goal to serve only the top 1% of the population, so I started visiting local farms and working with local farmers to see how we can make good quality food affordable. In our CSA programme, we have Chinese medicine doctors, nutritionists, head chefs and farmers working together to help you plan what to eat in the next season. All you have to do is to subscribe to it, then a box will be delivered to you every week. If consumers are willing to commit 3 months in advance, not only can we get quality product from local farmers at a cheaper price, but also a richer biodiversity because they will be able to grow different types of crops.

And oh, eat more fruits, not juice. Eat the whole fruit. 

Q.

Some of us find it hard to associate an urban jungle like Hong Kong with the farming industry. What’s the quality like in local farms and how accessible are they?  

A.

Up until the 1960s, over 60% of food we ate was produced in Hong Kong. The theory that Hong Kong doesn’t have enough farm land is definitely a myth. There’s a law that prohibits us from converting farmland into residential area, so land is not an issue. Funding is. We just don’t have enough farmers. There’s not enough money to support them because most people don’t appreciate local produce and are not willing to commit.

Quality wise I’d say we have some really good farmers here. Again, we’re only eating 2-3% local produce, so whoever is still farming, they are not doing it for the money, they have real passion. At the moment, I’m building a farming school with this farmer who has been experimenting at his farm since 2006. We’re confident that if we train a farmer for 6 months, they will be able to learn enough to handle 30,000 to 50,000 sq ft. of space. Along with the technology we provide them, they can make HKD$15,000 to $20,000 a month. 

Q.

It takes a lot of passion and perseverance to succeed in the culinary world. The long hours, the heat, the pressure… (and the pandemic certainly did not help). That has stopped many young talents from pursuing their dreams. Does that concern you?

A.

It definitely does. 

Chefs overseas are pretty well respected. But for some reason, in Hong Kong, working in the kitchen is not so glorious. It has a “factory” connotation, and people are conditioned to function like a robot because of what we called the “Split Shift Culture”. There’s no interest in creativity, and coming from the advertising industry, that really bugged me. 

That’s why we launched Fama Kitchen. Through running competitions with final year students at Poly University and THEi, and inviting winners to come into our kitchen for free, we can recruit people who studied culinary arts and want to become a chef, as well as people who are interested in doing the concept and creative side of building a hospitality brand. It’s a win-win.

Q.

What does Hong Kong’s food scene look like to you in 10 year’s time?

A.

Obviously, it’s not a great outlook if nothing is changed. The way I look at it, there will be two outcomes, and it’s very much up to the consumers. Whether we continue in the vein of “compulsive consumerism” or go with “conscious consumerism”. Consumers are the ones who will determine what the food scene will look like in 10 years’ time. 

“If we treat every dollar we spend as a vote, everything will change.”

Q.

Last question – do you think plant-based living is the future?

A.

I think all the plant-based meat alternatives are transitional products for us. It’s only a matter of time before people look at meat or seafood and realise the direct impact it has on the environment and our health. I think the price for grass-fed beef, organic pork, wild caught or organically farmed seafood will continue to go up, and when we can’t afford it, we’ll have to go plant-based. I also think people are becoming more kind in every generation. In my generation, growing up we didn’t have a conclusion on whether fish can feel pain, but now it’s well known fact. I sometimes come across videos on Youtube of young kids not wanting to eat animals, so I think their taste buds will change and there will be a higher demand for plant-based food. 

So yes. I think plant-based living is the future. But when? I don’t know. 

Again, it’s up to the consumers.