Did you know that Malaysians consume an average of four teaspoons of pesticides every day according to a study in 2013?
Teaspoons might not sound a lot, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) advises us to take one teaspoon of salt, four teaspoons of oil and six teaspoons of sugar every day!
Leong Jhy Wen’s 2018 TEDxPetaling Street speech
To an ordinary person, these words may not hold much weight, but to 23-year-old Kai Wen, this was what ultimately led him to have a full-time career in selling organic products.
Hailing from a business and IT background, Kai Wen had tried carving out a potential career path in various F&B businesses after leaving his marketing job but found little success.
“Things didn’t work out due to a lack of resources,” he admitted. “But I’ve always been interested in organic farming despite my lack of knowledge.”
As fate would have it, Kai Wen stumbled upon Leong’s TED Talk about organic farming, and it later served as the main inspiration behind his business called ‘The 90s Organic’.
More than just a word
The word ‘organic’ is often a foreign concept to many, who would often question what it means and how to identify it.
According to Earth Tag, Malaysia’s first community organic certifying organization, it encompasses seven areas, namely the level of soil and water conservation, the amount of heavy metals, regulation-compliant land reclamation, preventative measures for pollution from external sources, period of Organic-in-Conversion, sales and production records, and level of usage of chemical herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers, or genetically modified materials.
Going organic is more than just protecting human health. It also protects the quality of the land, environment, and ecosystem.
“Furthermore, the agriculture and wellness of people and the earth will only be sustainable when everything is well balanced,” says Kai Wen.
Sadly, not many are aware of these benefits and still opt for vegetables and fruits laden with pesticides though the price may be cheaper.
“That is why I am building an online platform to “sell” the concept and not just the product alone.”
Breaking misconceptions
Getting rid of stereotypes is never an easy thing, and the same goes for organic products. Over the years, many have rejected them due to their high cost compared to normal fruits and vegetables. Besides that, most are unable to differentiate between the two.
Luckily, with the efforts of environmentalists, a significant portion of society is slowly warming up to the idea of consuming organic food.
However, Kai Wen believes this alone isn’t enough.
“We need to do more in increasing public confidence in organic products. This is why I’m constantly creating social media posts about organic farming and products.
I’m confident that sooner and later, organic food will become more common, and the price will eventually go down.
Kai Wen is also a strong believer in building and maintaining a good relationship with customers, along with ensuring the quality of products sold.
“Building trust and bond with customers is how I keep this business alive for a long time. I’d also send my team to deliver the vegetable boxes to customers directly,” he explains.
He added that he and the team will continue to spread awareness about the concept of organic farming and hopefully change the environment for the better too.
Cover Images via The 90s Organic
Author: Raymond Chen
Proofreader: Sarah Yeoh
