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“If you want to see change, sometimes you have to be the one to take that first step to do it, because if you truly believe in it, you will attract like-minded people who share that same vision.”
For something as simple as eating, have you ever thought about what exactly goes into your mouth and where it comes from? In this episode, we reconnected with Rooftop Republic through their co-founder, Michelle Hong, to hear all about their milestones since we last met and how we can strive for a more sustainable Hong Kong.
How can we be more conscious of our contributions to food production and consumption systems that drastically affect the environment and our livelihoods? Rooftop Republic has responded to these questions with an urban farming movement to achieve a more sustainable food ecosystem. We last spoke with Rooftop Republic co-founder, Pol Fàbrega, all the way back in episode 2. This time, Michelle Hong describes her founder journey. She explains how her mother and the city of Singapore inspired her to provide more green spaces in Hong Kong. Since Rooftop Republic was created four years ago, the organization has established 50+ Urban Farms, facilitated workshops and training with more than 8000 participants and even won most outstanding and innovative Social Enterprise Awards in 2017.
In this episode, you will learn about
- How Rooftop Republic encourages more sustainable food production and consumption practices
- Michelle’s background and “leap of faith” to co-found this organization
- The importance of gardening for children and youth
- Why we must begin to redefine what it means to be a “farmer”
- The newly launched Rooftop Republic Academy organic farming training and management program
- What is growing in their Kowloon Tong garden where this interview takes place.
“It’s almost the smallest things that impact people the most because it comes in the most unexpected ways.”
Michelle credits a lot of Rooftop Republic’s success to both her team and the greater understanding people have of the effects of urbanization on the environment. She describes her founding team of partners having skills that complement one another and the same vision she believed in. The combination of consistent interest from clients and the hard work of those involved with Rooftop Republic led the set up of more and more projects. Once their seed was planted, Rooftop Republic was able to grow into the organization that Hong Kong companies, properties, food & beverage outlets, schools and communities can benefit from.
After listening to this episode, do you want to start a garden but do not know how to take that first step? Are you interested in helping to make urban farming even more accessible in Hong Kong and be a part of this community? Do you want to learn more about how you can be a more conscious consumer? Is your okra not growing and you aren’t sure what to do?
To answer your questions and be a part of this movement for a more sustainable Hong Kong, you can check out Rooftop Republic’s website, follow their Facebook and Instagram, or email them directly at hello@rooftoprepublic.com.
“If you can make that choice to support local farmers, to support locally grown vegetables, then that will be your first step to making change to our environment and to our health.”
“I wasn’t alone in a sense. I had the support from my team.”
Special Thanks to our Season 4 Goodie Partners at Womb and Green is the New Black for sponsoring this week’s gorgeous, conscious prizes for our #impact Club members.
