Dissaya Theerakaosal Of Shroomeats: 5 Things We Must Do To Inspire The Next Generation About Sustainability And The Environment
An Interview With Martita Mestey
Recycle together. Learn how to sort your recyclables properly to increase the chances of items actually being recycled. Set aside cans and bottles so you can personally bring them to a recycling facility where your children can participate in the process and even get some money as a small reward.
As part of my series about what we must do to inspire the next generation about sustainability and the environment, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dissaya Theerakaosal.
Dissaya is the founder and CEO of Shroomeats. She started the company to change the way we eat and make a positive impact on the environment by replacing meat dishes with mushroom based alternatives. Shroomeats products are soy free, sugar free, gluten free, non-GMO, and plant-based certified while only containing 6 natural ingredients so that they are healthy for us and the planet.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in Bangkok, Thailand where my family ran an architectural design studio. When I was young, I would often sit next to my dad at his desk and play, distracting him from his work, but he was never upset and always encouraged me to use my imagination. From first to twelfth grade I attended the same school where performing on stage and presenting ideas to your class was prioritized. This also stimulated my creativity and helped me develop different ways to express myself.
Growing up in Thai culture, I had the pleasure of being part of a huge community where everyone was extremely close. We had people visiting all the time. Friends and family would come over, bring food, share stories, and play with our cats and dogs every day without fail. As I got older, I began venturing outside the city and spent more time outdoors, mostly trekking and scuba diving. Thailand has an abundance of beautiful nature and the more time I spent exploring the more I realized how precious it was. I eventually started traveling outside of Thailand and by that time I could already see that the pressures we have placed on the environment were changing the natural world that I experienced in my youth.
Was there an “aha moment” or a specific trigger that made you decide you wanted to become a scientist or environmental leader? Can you share that story with us?
I had gone into architecture since I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps and was working an interior design job. However, I ended up leaving that occupation so that I could spend more time outdoors. While it wasn’t a specific moment, I remember that I would revisit old dive sites to find that the coral was bleached or dead. Once the coral was gone, everything else would disappear as well. I saw how much the ecosystems had changed in less than a decade and knew that I needed to make some kind of positive impact on the environment to slow climate change. The trips into the wild also showed me how simply I could live life. I didn’t need much on a daily basis. Healthy unpretentious food sustained me through all my travels and inspired me to keep my products as simple as possible while providing great nutrition.
Is there a lesson you can take out of your own story that can exemplify what can inspire a young person to become an environmental leader?
You will find motivation through your own experiences and the challenges you take head on. The best thing for a young person to do is to get out of their comfort zone and try as many activities they can. If you are lucky enough like I was to be able to be in the great outdoors and see how beautiful the natural world is with your own eyes, do it. If you are offered an opportunity to participate in an activity/event you are even mildly interested in, do it. You never know what adventure you will remember for the rest of your life or what skills you might pick up during those trips.
One year there was a flood in Bangkok that was worse than most and many animals were left stranded in buildings as the water rose too rapidly for them to escape. I joined a rescue team that went around the city pulling trapped dogs out of floodwaters. It was difficult and I saw first hand how terrifying and destructive floods can be. Unfortunately, bad floods have become a regular occurrence due to rising sea levels, but that experience motivates me to continually fight against climate change since that natural disaster hit so close to home. When you discover your purpose, work towards your goal little by little every day. Be consistent with it and nurture your passion daily.
Can you tell our readers about the initiatives that you or your company are taking to address climate change or sustainability? Can you give an example for each?
Shroomeat was founded to provide a solution to the climate crisis by offering a healthier and more sustainable meat alternative so we can reduce our meat consumption. Our products are made from upcycled shiitake mushrooms. They are not “pretty” enough to be sold in stores, so instead we use them as the main ingredient for our products. We chose shiitake mushrooms not only because they provide great texture and excellent health benefits, but also because they require less water, land, and energy to produce.
Every 1,000 pounds of mushrooms eaten instead of beef saves 1.8 million gallons of water, 80 acres of land, and 30,000 kWh of energy while preventing 168,000 kg of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. One of our goals is to reach 1 million pounds of mushrooms consumed by Shroomeats customers. If you like mushrooms, want to eat cleaner, or are simply interested in our project, please visit our website or try out our products to help us move closer to our goal.
Can you share 3 lifestyle tweaks that the general public can do to be more sustainable or help address the climate change challenge?
- Eat less meat. Not everyone can become fully vegan or vegetarian, but simply reducing the amount of meat you eat not only will have a beneficial environmental impact but will likely have a beneficial impact on your personal health as well.
- Make a smartphone last as long as you can. Around 90% of a phone’s carbon footprint is produced during manufacturing. The batteries, circuits, speakers, and screens each have their own emissions, pollution, and other environmental costs. Phone companies make it so tempting for us to constantly upgrade to the newest, shiniest phone. However, the fewer phones we use in our lifetime the better it will be for the environment.
- Find idols. Follow or regularly read about people who are making change happen. Much of what we hear about climate change is doom and gloom. It is taxing, deflating, and exhausting. Instead of seeing this issue as an insurmountable task or an ever-present inevitability, change your perspective and watch people move the needle toward a more environmentally friendly world. No one person can bring about all the solutions necessary to solve our environment’s problems. However, there are many people working towards their own solutions. Follow their progress, celebrate their successes, and support them if you can. Maybe you will find some inspiration as well.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview: The youth-led climate strikes of September 2019 showed an impressive degree of activism and initiative by young people on behalf of climate change. This was great, and there is still plenty that needs to be done. In your opinion, what are 5 things parents should do to inspire the next generation to become engaged in sustainability and the environmental movement? Please give a story or an example for each. far
To be completely frank, I think young people understand our situation very well. We have much to learn from them. Their activism and commitment to fighting climate change is truly inspiring. However, if you have young children I can offer my two cents and give some ideas of activities that you can do together.
- Participate in park or beach clean-ups. When my husband was a kid, his dad would take him on walks along the beach and pick up trash once or twice a month. Even though it was not their garbage, his dad said it was their duty since they used the beach too. To this day, whenever my husband sees trash at a beach or park, he picks it up. It is second nature. If you instill at a young age the idea that cleaning up waste is not another person’s job and that we are all responsible, it can create a lifelong commitment to making our world cleaner. The more you see the amount of waste we generate, the more you understand that our garbage has to go somewhere, either on our lands or in our oceans.
- Develop a curiosity for nature. Take them outside and encourage them to turn over rocks, collect fallen leaves, examine flowers, look for worms, or just watch ants march. A curious mind will eventually take them to places you never imagined. The more they explore their natural environment, the more they will be interested in its wellbeing.
- Grow some of your own food. Develop your children’s understanding of how their food is produced and the work involved before it arrives at the table. Having this foundational knowledge will build a connection with what they eat. Even if it is just growing herbs, showing them that it takes time and resources for food to grow will help them make more informed decisions when eating or buying food.
- Recycle together. Learn how to sort your recyclables properly to increase the chances of items actually being recycled. Set aside cans and bottles so you can personally bring them to a recycling facility where your children can participate in the process and even get some money as a small reward.
- Understand your water supply and teach your kids about this natural resource. We take it for granted much too often. Just turn on the faucet and water shoots out. But we forget that this water comes from somewhere and there is not an unlimited supply. Show your kids where your water comes from, how it is cleaned, and then where it goes after it leaves your home. Even a cursory understanding of the effort it takes to bring water into homes and how there is a limited amount of usable water can make a difference in one’s effort to reduce wasteful water usage. Encourage them to preserve and care for their resources.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
There is mounting pressure on businesses to become more sustainable and pioneer solutions to combat climate change. This pressure has come from a growing number of consumers who consider a company’s environmental impact as part of their purchasing decision. As consumer behavior shifts, businesses that actively pursue eco-friendly initiatives are able to take advantage of this change and grow their customer base.
A great example of this is REI. They not only sell outdoor and camping supplies but also have their Re/Supply program where members can trade-in and purchase used gear. Buying used instead of new avoids carbon emissions by 50% or more. That has been a huge draw and in 2021 REI gained 1.4 million new co-op members and saw 86% revenue growth for its used gear business.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Mary, my dear friend and co-founder of Shroomeats. She is always full of energy and eternally committed to our project. I know she will never give up and this makes me work harder every single day. Mary has the best attitude and helps me stay on track, constantly pushing us to achieve our mission.
One thing I will always remember is that on the days when I felt discouraged and wanted to give up, to stop trying, she would remind me that “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Even before we began pioneering Shroomeats together, her patience and encouragement kept me moving forward. She motivates me through her words and actions every day. This has given me the strength to continue and the belief that the hard work we have put in every day will ensure that we accomplish our goals.
You are a person of great influence and doing some great things for the world! If you could inspire a movement that would bring the greatest amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Starting in 7th grade at my school, we had an annual class that roughly translates to “self-development class.” Students were asked to choose their own subject to study and present what they learned at the end of the year. This was tremendously helpful for young minds to begin thinking about what they wanted to do and figure out how they could further their education beyond the regular curriculum.
Applying this to more education models would be tremendously helpful for younger generations who are now faced with solving so many global and social issues. Getting young minds to apply or develop knowledge, skills, and passions helps them build confidence in who they are and their abilities. Helping them cultivate their interests can unlock their potential. Our world needs more leaders who are willing to break the mold and introduce new solutions to local and global challenges, and this can be the first step for many students to begin thinking about how to address the obstacles they will face.
Do you have a favorite life lesson quote? Can you tell us how that was relevant to you in your own life?
“I was tired of working hard to be less bad. I wanted to be involved in making buildings, even products, with completely positive intentions.” — William McDonough, Cradle to Cradle
I love this author and the quote sums up the motivations around why I started my business. Too many systems we use, in business or otherwise, were not designed to be sustainable because, for a long time, humans lacked the knowledge about the negative effects our actions can have on the natural world. Our current efforts to reduce the negative effects while still following old ways of operating often lead to our impact being less bad rather than good. For example, single-use plastic water bottles have reduced the amount of plastic that is in each bottle. While this is an improvement, plastic bottles remain single-use and often still end up in landfills. If we want to solve the new challenges we face, we must embrace new ways of thinking and operate.
Thank you for this interview, it was great for me to think back and reflect. I will leave you with another quote from the same author that has also motivated me.
“We humans have the ability to see beyond our species, and that ability confers a responsibility.” — William McDonough, The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability
What is the best way for people to follow you on social media?
Follow me on Instagram!
Dissaya T
@shroomeats
https://www.youtube.com/@shroomeats3225
This was so inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Dissaya Theerakaosal Of Shroomeats: 5 Things We Must Do To Inspire The Next Generation About… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.