Which future of food

This shift in focus takes place at a time of significant change for food and agribusiness, brought about by resource insecurity and a changing climate, an ageing population with rising levels of chronic disease, choosier consumers, globalisation and smarter food chains. The challenge — and the opportunity — for Australian food producers and suppliers, is to pursue new markets and growth opportunities that are emerging from these megatrends.

To do this will require investment to encourage innovation, enable the exploration and exploitation of new markets, and to overcome barriers that might exist. The first driver is sustainability. But that increase has come at a significant cost to the environment that cannot continue to be borne.

This time, production must increase but the environmental footprint of that production must halve. A focus on sustainability is not just driven by regulators; consumers are also demanding more environmentally-responsible products.

Australia already has a reputation for being clean and green, ranking 16th out of 80 countries in global perception of a green economy. Waste is a huge issue for food and agribusiness. One-third of food produced today around the world, or approximately 1.

In Australia alone, , tonnes of food is wasted each year by the food manufacturing industry. Wastage happens at every step of production, from the farm to the fridge. One way to deal with it is take the waste and turn it into something innovative and useful. Similarly, the fruit juice industry produces huge quantities of fruit pulp as a waste product. This pulp is not only nutritious but is also very low in sugar.

Instead of being thrown away, it could be a source of flavour compounds, natural colourants and dietary nutrients, baking products such as pectin, fibre and pulp for textile or paper production, growth materials for other food sources such as fungi, and a myriad of other possibilities. Dairy waste such as acid whey can be used to create products for human rather than purely animal consumption; crop residues used for fodder, biofuels, bio-oils, paper and packaging materials rather than fertiliser; and plant stalks and leaves a source of nutrients such as carotenoids, vitamin D and functional oils.

Packaging is another significant area of waste. While some are already addressing this with biodegradable and low-energy packaging materials, there are also opportunities to be found in recycled, re-used or even edible packaging. Sustainability is also about the cost of production. Meat is a major source of protein for billions of people — and demand is set to increase dramatically with increased wealth and living standards.

However meat production is associated with significant environmental costs in terms of water use, methane production, pollution from animal effluent, and land degradation. As a result, markets and consumers are looking for alternative protein sources.

While some of these are plant based, there is also a growth in appetite for new and different types of protein. What we eat can impact our health in both positive and negative ways. The second key driver of food innovation is health and wellness.

Support regenerative, durable, and economically adaptive systems in the face of a changing planet. Promote sustainable livelihoods and access to nutritious and just food systems for all. Value our rich and diverse agricultural, ecological, and cultural heritage. Advance the health and well-being of people, animals, the environment, and the societies that depend on all three. Ensure meaningful and authentic engagement of diverse people and organizations in transparent deliberations and democratic decision-making.

Understand the implications of the interdependence of food, people, and the planet in a transition to more sustainable food systems. Find out more. Our Strategy. Food systems transformation requires new and better solutions at all scales. Our research, convenings, and initiatives are all aimed at driving broad transformation across geographies and sectors.

Explore our strategy. Strengthening evidence. Strengthening evidence Building a body of evidence about approaches to transform food systems. The future of food is high-tech, local and taking into account the needs of our planet. What is the future of food made of, why we cannot continue the way we used to produce and what practices will be replacing current approaches of handling food? Currently, there are about 7. The UN projects that this number will rise by 2 billion by These factors will inevitably lead to a substantial increase in worldwide food consumption.

The current way in which we produce and consume food, however, is in no way able to keep up with that rise in demand. Adding to these ill effects is the troubling fact that up to one third of all food produced gets lost or wasted either through inefficiencies in distribution from farms to retailers or simply by careless handling by consumers. Not all hope is lost, however, as innovators around the globe are working on a more responsible and sustainable future for food.

Who are the main players and what exactly are they working on to make sure that our plates will be filled for decades to come? Meat production has long been identified as one of the main factors in human-made climate change. Companies have realized that it is only a question of time until demand for meat or meat-like products from sustainable sources surges. Already back in , the first ever lab-grown burger was sizzling on a grill in London.

This was thanks to the result of a research project conducted by a Dutch university and, interestingly, backed by Google Co-Founder, Sergey Brin.

Since then, the technology has come a long way. This price tag could mean that we might encounter lab-grown meat on supermarket shelves as early as The fast progress in alternative meat production has sparked the interest of major players in the food industry.