Interesting, but it feels like another Silicon Valley scheme to convince us that the only way forward is to adopt their technocratic and hyperindustrial way of life. It simply isn't true. Which makes this piece seem like a disingenuous advertisement, perhaps with connections to the food tech industry.
What would you suggest as a scalable way to feed billions of people in the future? I am certainly unabashed in my belief that technology will help here, but it is not the only way. Access, cost, and further entrenching monocropping are definitely huge potential setbacks here. As I say in the article and the original sci-fi that inspired it, food tech is not a panacea. We need more people thinking creatively about how to feed the future.
This is so, so cool! Totally with you on the importance of narratives. I just spent a couple weeks at institutional food service conferences at the CIA (culinary school) and UMass Amherst, and while there was a lot of excitement around plant-forward, sustainable menu planning, that space is running as fast it can away from tech back towards tradition. Just the old narratives of chefs being stewards of the environment and community health, unnatural tech being a dereliction of duty, that sort of thing.
There are a few areas, though, were this doesn’t feel as entrenched. 1) At institutions, nutritionists seem to have some impact over menu planning, and a disproportionate number (from what I’ve anecdotally seen), are plant-based. Possibly more allies who can understand the actual data around GMO and health and influence their dining programs. 2) Certain culinary traditions already blend past and future and can maybe serve as olive branches to the anti-technologists. Grant Achetz (Alinea) and Jason Ignacio White (Noma) come to mind. The foundation of Grant’s molecular gastronomy is top top top quality ingredients – and he finds novel ways to build off that. Essentially, grounding the new craft from old, accepted roots. I think food technologists can probably brag more about what they put into their food, or the perks of the crops they design. For Jason and fermentation, there’s no binary between what’s naturally vs techno-utopian – more just a slippery slope towards cooler and wilder creations. Maybe that progression is a way to appeal to the old guard. I do worry that novelty without connection to current preferences can lead to increased aversion.
Anyways, mostly wanted to say good luck with your project! Not sure how I can help, but always happy to if there’s a way.
This is amazing to read. Excited to continue seeing food innovation as a key driver of both sustainability and global health improvements.
What a fantastic idea!
looks delicious!
Interesting, but it feels like another Silicon Valley scheme to convince us that the only way forward is to adopt their technocratic and hyperindustrial way of life. It simply isn't true. Which makes this piece seem like a disingenuous advertisement, perhaps with connections to the food tech industry.
What would you suggest as a scalable way to feed billions of people in the future? I am certainly unabashed in my belief that technology will help here, but it is not the only way. Access, cost, and further entrenching monocropping are definitely huge potential setbacks here. As I say in the article and the original sci-fi that inspired it, food tech is not a panacea. We need more people thinking creatively about how to feed the future.
This is so, so cool! Totally with you on the importance of narratives. I just spent a couple weeks at institutional food service conferences at the CIA (culinary school) and UMass Amherst, and while there was a lot of excitement around plant-forward, sustainable menu planning, that space is running as fast it can away from tech back towards tradition. Just the old narratives of chefs being stewards of the environment and community health, unnatural tech being a dereliction of duty, that sort of thing.
There are a few areas, though, were this doesn’t feel as entrenched. 1) At institutions, nutritionists seem to have some impact over menu planning, and a disproportionate number (from what I’ve anecdotally seen), are plant-based. Possibly more allies who can understand the actual data around GMO and health and influence their dining programs. 2) Certain culinary traditions already blend past and future and can maybe serve as olive branches to the anti-technologists. Grant Achetz (Alinea) and Jason Ignacio White (Noma) come to mind. The foundation of Grant’s molecular gastronomy is top top top quality ingredients – and he finds novel ways to build off that. Essentially, grounding the new craft from old, accepted roots. I think food technologists can probably brag more about what they put into their food, or the perks of the crops they design. For Jason and fermentation, there’s no binary between what’s naturally vs techno-utopian – more just a slippery slope towards cooler and wilder creations. Maybe that progression is a way to appeal to the old guard. I do worry that novelty without connection to current preferences can lead to increased aversion.
Anyways, mostly wanted to say good luck with your project! Not sure how I can help, but always happy to if there’s a way.
I'd be more then willing to try them.