Whatever your favorite dishes may be today, chances are they will look quite different in 20 to 30 years. Overall, the culinary landscape is predicted to undergo major changes in the decades ahead – not only because our habits and attitudes towards food are changing.
By 2050, the global population is expected to hit 10 billion people. This means that – to feed everyone – it will take 56 per cent more food than is produced in the world today, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Unfortunately, there is not enough agricultural land available to provide larger future populations with the kind of diet people are eating in most countries today. This suggests that the crops we cultivate, and the food we eat today, will undergo significant changes.
Why we will need to eat differently
The key reasons which are necessitating a fundamental shift in how we think about food can be summarised as:
- population growth
- effects of global warming
- inequality in access to food
Even though global poverty has seen a sharp decline over the past decades, there are still far too many people living hungry in the world. To make matters worse, global warming is "very likely to affect global, regional, and local food security by disrupting food availability, decreasing access to food, and making utilisation more difficult", predicts the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
All of these factors mean that in the years to come, mankind will be looking at alternate crops that can be grown with a smaller carbon footprint, in sufficient quantities, and which will have high nutritional value.
From lab-grown meat, edible insects, seaweed, a stronger shift towards plant-based foods, to massive changes in food production and agriculture, the next decades will see a considerable shift in what food we put on our plates.
Eating differently
In a future that will require tackling multiple challenges at once, consumers will not be left without options. After all, eating fulfills emotional and social needs in addition to providing nourishment. Food culture is an integral part of most societies, and most people will probably not want to change it.
So here is what's in store for food menus:
- Edible Insects(click to shrink)
Close to 2 billion people on earth already practice entomophagy, or the eating of insects. Edible insects have been consumed by various cultures for centuries and may be integral to the future of food security. Not only are insects rich sources of protein and other essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, they are also more eco-friendly to grow, causing far less harm to the planet than the consumption of meat. Different startups and large companies have already jumped on the bandwagon. Aspire Food Group is currently building "the world’s largest ever cricket farm, powered by IoT", and the company already operates scalable, flexible cricket farms in the U.S.
- Seaweeds(click to shrink)
Seaweeds/algae (sometimes referred to as sea vegetables) are another food trend that has already made inroads into our dietary habits. You may have already consumed them in sushi or in the form of spirulina, a popular addition to the diets of the super health-conscious. Like insects, seaweeds also cause little harm to the environment, grow quickly, and contain many nutrients, making them an ideal candidate as a food of the future. Canadian startup Cascadia Seaweed, for example, already operates offshore farms and a seed nursery, and it is now focused on launching consumer food products.
- Plant-based meat(click to shrink)
A lot of research is going into the area of crafting plant-based meats. A molecule called heme that can carry the taste and texture of meat is being adapted for uses in new food products. Other ingredients like wheat-based protein, coconut oil, and potato starch are also in play in the creation of plant-based alternatives to meat. The market is expanding rapidly, with one of the most successful IPOs in the last few years belonging to Beyond Meat, a company specialised in plant-based meat substitutes.
- Lab-grown meat(click to shrink)
For those who still cannot get around the fact that plant-based meat is, well, not meat, there are lab-grown alternatives that are, in fact, real meat – except that no animals need to be killed or harmed in making it. The first burger made of lab-grown meat cost a whopping $325,000 to make back in 2013. However, dozens of startups and companies are currently involved in developing lab-grown meat. With a taste and texture that is incredibly close to actual meat, lab-grown meat is well on its way to making the concept of growing animals for slaughter an anachronism.
A few years ago, the cost of a lab-grown burger dropped to just $12. Given the speed of development, the "lab-grown protein market may account for 35 per cent of the global meat market by 2040", estimates AT Kearny.
So, does the future of food look high-tech and flavorless? Not necessarily, as it is set to be healthier, sometimes tastier, and probably more sustainable. Overall, these alternatives are predicted to be better for the planet and for biodiversity. Food will certainly be produced and consumed quite differently in the coming decades.
Photo: Jatuphon Buraphon / Pexels