In a recent Nepali Times article, reporter Sudiksha Tuladhar profiles Kajol Sethia, who graduated in aerospace engineering from the Singapore University of Technology and Design and returned to Nepal for a break, where she found a lasting connection to the Himalaya. A lifelong vegetarian who became vegan in Singapore, Sethia turned to animal rights activism and founded Vegan Dairy Nepal in 2018, building a plant-based following largely through social media and word of mouth. PETA Asia awarded her its Outstanding Activist Award in 2019.

Tuladhar writes that the turning point came on a trek to Humla, at 4,000 meters, where Sethia encountered wild sea buckthorn berries. Known in Nepali as Dalle Chuk, the sour fruit grows across the mountains from Mugu to Taplejung and is rich in vitamin C and omega fatty acids. Local farmers had long used it in traditional medicine but lacked a market. “That is when I decided to fill the gap,” Sethia recalls.

That gap became Makalu Food and Beverages, launched in 2023 to market Himalayan foods. Sea buckthorn juice is among its most popular products, sold at kar.ma Coffee, Himalayan Java outlets, and stores in Kathmandu and Pokhara. The range now includes lentils, marsi red rice, spices, teas, and kombucha. Sethia told Nepali Times that interest grew after Covid as people became more conscious of what they eat.

Sustainability sits at the center of the business, Tuladhar notes. Sethia works with the Swiss carbon-capture firm Climeworks AG, purchasing removal of as much carbon dioxide as her company emits. Named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2024, she argues that much of the world’s carbon footprint sits on our plates and that shifting toward plant-based, climate-friendly food is within reach for everyone.

Even as Makalu products reach India and she works toward the European market, Tuladhar writes, Sethia remains focused on mountain communities in Humla and beyond. Many ingredients grow wild and cannot be farmed, making sustainable harvesting a priority. She also sees the company as a way to create jobs as people migrate away from the mountains. The profits, she says, go toward animal welfare.

Acknowledgement: This summary was generated using AI writing tools as part of my AI Explorations process. For more, see the original article linked below.

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