Why Asif Ali Gohar Chose Rice for Leather

When deciding to create a new vegan leather, there were many choices that faced Asif Ali Gohar and one of those main questions was what main ingredient to use. The use of vegan friendly ingredients has grown significantly over the years, and this has led to many developments and the use of raw materials for things that many would never think of.  Out of all of the materials that were available, he chose rice to make his leather from. 

Some of the other materials that were considered included wheat, soy, kale, and even cabbage or lettuce. In order to work for the material building the material had to be solid enough to hold shape, but able to break down enough to be combined with other materials to build the strength and ability to change shape. To determine what would work best it was necessary to do a series of testing on the available products. 

The final decision to use rice was based upon many factors. Cost was one consideration, and rice is available in an amount that makes it affordable in the quantities that are needed. Due to the abundance of rice near his hometown, it was both affordable and local, which helped to keep the cost of shipping lower as well. It was also determined to be one of the easier to process, which kept the costs down and allowed it to be used to create larger amounts. 

Another factor was availability. By choosing a material that is grown nearby there is a distinct advantage to how available it is. Having a material that is widely available without travel, there are fewer shortages or delays. When it is running low at the manufacturing plant it is easy to order more and have it delivered quickly. Preventing shortages helps to keep inventory levels at their needed amount and prevents loss of customers due to delays or unfinished orders. 

Quality is also better managed with the materials that are local. It is possible to visit the locations where it grows, and to determine which suppliers will have the best quality. Higher quality raw materials results in higher quality end products. This allows for the selling price to remain higher and the profits to be better. Other materials were not as easily ready and were further away, making it harder ot check the quality, as well as being more diverse in their quality. Rice was consistently the same and provided consistent results that other materials were unable to maintain. 

After choosing many materials and trying them for consistency, quality, availability, cost, and ease of use, rice was determined to be the best choice. It offers a reliable source and it is easily accessible from that location. As one of the main exports of the country there is always a source that is growing the rice that is needed for this material, while others would have needed to be shipped in from other locations.