Innovative techniques to produce food in new ways and in large quantities... But will people accept it?

Agriculture uses half of the world's habitable land, and causes more than 30% of global emissions.

Food production requires between the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, natural gas, oxygen and carbon dioxide.

In the great challenges of the planet, there is an urgent need to completely reimagine the diet, but that will only be possible if consumers abandon their wariness of new technologies and become bolder about what they are eating.

And the British “Economist” magazine says in a report that food prices have risen globally in the last 13 months compared to the previous 15 months, and approached the record rates witnessed in 2011, due to bad weather and disruptions related to the epidemic and the repercussions of the outbreak of swine flu in China. year 2018.

The world is under pressure from climate change, population growth and a shift towards Western diets that rely on meat (Shutterstock)

In the long term, the diet is facing pressures from climate change, population growth and a shift towards Western diets that rely primarily on meat.

Fortunately - the magazine says - there are innovative technologies to produce food in new ways and in large quantities, through factories that do not depend on human labor and have a carbon footprint that is less harmful to the environment.

These technologies include bioreactors for growing meat, indoor "vertical" farms and modern methods of fish production, and experts say these methods will make a huge difference in food quantities and the preservation of the planet.

For example, 3 quarters of farmland is used for livestock, so steaks made from vegetable protein, or grown in cell ponds, will significantly reduce land and water use, and lead to lower emissions.

Do consumers accept new food?

But the biggest challenge, according to The Economist, is that it will not be easy for people to eat the food that will be produced through these new technologies.

Given the cultural importance of food, and its direct impact on the human body, reservations and skepticism dominate the minds when talking about new foodstuffs and innovative production processes.

Such a thing happened in the 17th century in Europe, where many people refused to eat potatoes for fear that they might cause leprosy.

In the 17th century, many Europeans refused to eat potatoes, fearing that they might cause leprosy.

Currently, many European countries ban the cultivation and sale of genetically modified crops, although they are widely grown and consumed in other parts of the world.

Despite the consumption of insects for medicinal purposes in several countries, the idea is still completely rejected by most consumers in the West.

According to the magazine, new foods and innovative food manufacturing processes present opportunities to establish delicious and sustainable eating traditions, forcing consumers in the West to drop their reservations about eating insects and try veggie burgers, 3D-printed steaks and artificially grown tuna in bowls.

According to The Economist, authorities in Europe and the United States should ease approval procedures for fine meat, be more open to genetically modified crops, and speed up approval of edible insects for animal feed and human consumption.