Said to have been conceived by hippie come New Age thoughtmeisters, now an organization that serves a growing demographic of consumers and businesses in the US, Europe and in the AsiaPacific region, the brand LOHAS describes “an estimated global US$350 billion marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living.”  According to marketers, approximately 19% of the adults in the U.S., or 41 million people, are currently considered LOHAS Consumers.  In Asia, the consumers attracted to this market represent a growing demographic group; e.g. “in Japan, 12% or 17 million adults are LOHAS consumers!”

For the business and leadership communities, the numbers speak louder than the words.  This is not to say there weren’t summit talks worthy of dragging attention away from smartphone Twitter or FaceBook posts.  Collective eyebrows definitely raised when listening to Stanford U prof, Dr. Alan Greene’s stories and stats on the deadly impact of pesticides on child brain development.  Positively down right alarming!  A full morning dedicated to the Gulf Oil spill clean up did Skype in ocean conservation hero Philippe Cousteau, who echoed Robert Ballard’s 2008 TED Talk questioning the big picture funding of space and biotech research:  ‘We in the U.S. spend more in our government budget on deep space probes than on deep ocean research.’

Recognizing the urgency of Cousteau’s message, I don’t think an either/or choice is at issue.  I say we join irreverent branding expert John Rooks in making the better argument that regardless of where business and government decides to invest its dollars, they do so by promoting corporate, civic and cultural value. Once we grasp the bald fact that we’re stewards of our own host, Planet Earth, it’s easy to get wise and sane about the scientific research that reaches down into oceanic depths and out to the vast planetary system beyond.  (Given the neuro-centric focus of this site, we are dedicated to helping you connect the dots as neuro-biological, genetic and astro-physics research studies all impact living in an adaptive, sane way on the planet. Click here for an example.)

Thinking ahead for LOHASAsiaPacific businesses and consumers, it’s a no-brainer to recognize that science and technology will lead the way to developing the LOHAS brand as regional governments begin to look for global partners to help develop preventative measures and sustainable solutions to the four pressing issues:  over-population, deforestation, air and water pollution… all heavy factors likely to turn AsiaPacific into epicenters of epidemic disease unless addressed with sane, sustainable R&D.

Where critics might preach doom and gloom, Global LOHAS leaders are on the move to address sustainable change, the kind of change strongly insinuated by the likes of forecaster Faith Popcorn who opened LOHAS 2010 with her buzz on “ME-WE” business practices.  Film and cultural theorists reading this blog will recognize the ideological leap: from “WALL STREET” ego-centered desires to “AVATAR” collective needs and values.  Naming the crash and burn scenario of failing 20th century “e” systems –economics, ethics and environment — Popcorn prevailed upon LOHAS constituents to recognize to their place as global influencers and change agents in 21st century business practice.  For Popcorn and for LOHAS, the future of ME-WE industries means the future of growth based on “triple bottom line” worth and virtues:  People, Planet, Profit.

With or without statistics, it’s easy to do the math: That’s a switch from e-quations to a p-equations.

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Itchin’ to change the future? Learn more about LOHAS by clicking here.  To learn more about LOHASAsiaPacific click here.

To learn more about how to bring sustainable practices into your living or work space, check out other entries in The Green Body Project, by clicking here.