What’s after what’s next? Megatrends shaping 2018 and beyond: Food by Design

EY Global

5 Apr 201903:03

Summary

TLDRThe food industry is undergoing a transformation driven by consumer demand for local, transparent, and personalized food. Global health issues, climate change, and resource scarcity are spurring innovations at the intersection of food, biotech, wellness, and digital technology. As the middle class expands, so does the demand for sustainable meat alternatives and lab-grown meat, which address inefficiencies and environmental impacts of traditional livestock. Digital vertical farming is revolutionizing urban agriculture, reducing land and water use while increasing access to fresh, local, and organic produce. Understanding the human gut biome is key to personalized diets that combat obesity and diseases like diabetes, highlighting the convergence of food, wellness, and technology for a healthier planet.

Takeaways

💰 The food industry, valued at five trillion dollars, is undergoing a significant disruption due to changing consumer demands.
🌱 Consumers are increasingly seeking food that is locally sourced, transparently produced, and personalized to their preferences.
🌍 The spread of the Western diet is contributing to global health issues, which is a concern as it also impacts climate change and resource sustainability.
🌱 Innovations at the intersection of food, biotech, wellness, and digital technology are emerging as a response to these challenges.
📈 The growth of the global middle class is driving up the demand for meat, which poses a problem due to the inefficiency and environmental impact of traditional meat production.
🥩 Food innovators are developing sustainable meat alternatives that can compete with traditional meat in terms of taste, price, and experience.
🥬 Plant-based meat and dairy products are designed to mimic the taste and experience of animal products without the associated environmental costs.
🧪 Lab-grown or clean meat is an emerging solution that avoids the inefficiencies and environmental issues of conventional meat production.
🏭 Digital vertical farming is a technological advancement that allows for local food production with less land and water, addressing the demand for fresh and organic products.
🌿 Understanding the human gut biome can lead to personalized diets that can help prevent obesity and diseases like diabetes, reflecting a shift towards food as a component of wellness.
🔄 As food supply chains become more efficient and sustainable, there are implications for energy, logistics, and retail companies, as well as opportunities for partnerships between food, retail, and healthcare sectors.

Q & A

What is the current issue with the food industry as mentioned in the script?
-The food industry is facing disruption due to consumer demands for local, transparently produced, and personalized food, as well as challenges posed by global health problems, climate change, and resource constraints.
How is the Western diet contributing to global health problems according to the script?
-The diffusion of the Western diet is fueling global health problems by contributing to obesity and other diet-related diseases.
What are the innovations being developed at the intersections of food, biotech, wellness, and digital?
-Innovations include vegetable-based meat and dairy products, lab-grown clean meat, digital vertical farms, and understanding the human gut biome for personalized diets.
Why are food innovators focusing on sustainable meat alternatives?
-Food innovators are making sustainable meat mainstream to address the inefficiency of animal farming, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve food sustainability without compromising on taste, price, and experience.
How do vegetable-based meat and dairy products aim to compete with traditional animal products?
-They are designed to deliver the same taste and experience as the real thing, aiming to compete on equal terms with traditional animal products.
What are the advantages of lab-grown clean meat over conventional meat?
-Lab-grown clean meat avoids the inefficiencies, pollution, and sanitary problems associated with conventional meat production.
How do digital vertical farms contribute to food sustainability?
-Digital vertical farms decouple agriculture from climate constraints, reduce the global supply chain, and enable food to be grown where it's consumed, using less land and water.
What role do digital vertical farms play in addressing food deserts and job creation in cities?
-They help address food deserts by providing fresh, local, and organic products, and they bring new kinds of jobs to cities by enabling urban agriculture.
How does understanding the human gut biome contribute to food sustainability and wellness?
-Understanding the human gut biome allows for the identification of the best foods for individuals, helping to avoid obesity and diseases like diabetes, thus contributing to food sustainability and personal wellness.
What business challenges arise as food supply chains become shorter and more resource-efficient?
-The challenges include implications for energy logistics, retail companies needing to adapt to local and sustainable food production, and the need for partnerships between food, retail, and healthcare sectors for personalized diets.
How is digital agriculture key to making cities smart and resilient?
-Digital agriculture, through innovations like vertical farming and personalized diets, contributes to making cities smart and resilient by improving food sustainability, reducing environmental impact, and enhancing the overall quality of life.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Disruption in the Food Industry

The script discusses the significant changes in the food industry, driven by consumer demand for local, transparently produced, and personalized food. It highlights the global health issues caused by the spread of the Western diet and the challenges of climate change and resource constraints on food sustainability. Innovations at the intersection of food, biotech, wellness, and digital technologies are presented as solutions to these challenges.

🌱 Sustainable Meat Alternatives and Digital Farming

This paragraph focuses on the growing demand for meat and the inefficiency and environmental impact of traditional animal farming. It introduces food innovators' efforts to make sustainable meat mainstream through vegetable-based meat and dairy products, lab-grown clean meat, and digital vertical farms. These innovations aim to reduce land and water usage, meet the demand for fresh, local, and organic products, and address food deserts while creating new urban jobs.

🛒 The Impact on Food Retail and Healthcare Sectors

The script explores the implications of a more sustainable and efficient food supply chain for energy, logistics, and retail companies. It questions how digital agriculture can make cities smarter and more resilient. The paragraph also discusses the potential partnerships between food retail and healthcare sectors to improve wellness through personalized diets, emphasizing the role of understanding the human gut biome in preventing obesity and diseases like diabetes.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Food industry

The food industry encompasses all businesses involved in the processing, distribution, and sale of food products. In the context of the video, it is highlighted as a sector that is being disrupted by consumer demands for local, transparently produced, and personalized food. The industry is also under pressure to address global health problems, climate change, and resource constraints.

💡Western diet

The Western diet refers to a dietary pattern characterized by high intake of processed foods, saturated fats, sugars, and low intake of fruits, vegetables, and fiber. The video mentions the diffusion of the Western diet as a factor contributing to global health problems, suggesting a need for a shift towards more sustainable and healthier dietary practices.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in the video refers to the ability to maintain food production without depleting resources or causing environmental harm. It is a core theme as the script discusses challenges like climate change and resource constraints, and how innovations in food production, such as lab-grown meat and vertical farming, aim to make the food system more sustainable.

💡Meat demand

The demand for meat is growing with the expansion of the global middle class. However, the traditional meat industry is portrayed as inefficient and harmful to the environment in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The video discusses how food innovators are working to make sustainable alternatives to meat mainstream.

💡Vegetable-based meat

Vegetable-based meat refers to plant-based alternatives to meat that aim to mimic the taste and texture of animal-based meat. The video mentions these products as a way to meet the growing demand for meat while reducing the environmental impact associated with traditional meat production.

💡Clean meat

Clean meat, also known as lab-grown or cultured meat, is produced by culturing animal cells in a lab. The video discusses this as a method to avoid the inefficiencies, pollution, and sanitary issues associated with conventional meat production, offering a more sustainable alternative.

💡Vertical farms

Vertical farms are controlled environment agriculture systems where food is grown in vertically stacked layers. The video highlights how digital vertical farms can decouple agriculture from climate constraints, reduce the global supply chain, and enable local food production in cities, contributing to sustainability and addressing food deserts.

💡Gut biome

The human gut biome consists of trillions of microorganisms in the digestive system that play a crucial role in health. The video suggests that understanding the gut biome can help identify personalized diets, which can prevent obesity and diseases like diabetes, illustrating a shift towards food as a component of wellness.

💡Food deserts

Food deserts are areas where access to affordable, healthy food is limited. The video discusses how vertical farming can help address food deserts by enabling the growth of fresh, local, and organic produce in urban areas, thus improving food accessibility and sustainability.

💡Personalized diets

Personalized diets are tailored to an individual's specific needs, based on factors like genetics, health conditions, and lifestyle. The video implies that as the understanding of the gut biome advances, personalized diets can become a key tool in preventing obesity and diseases, aligning with the broader theme of food as a pathway to wellness.

💡Food by design

Food by design suggests a future where food is not only produced sustainably but also customized to meet specific health and wellness needs. The video ends by pondering how companies from various sectors can collaborate to improve wellness through personalized, local, and sustainable food production.

Highlights

The food industry is undergoing a disruption as consumers demand food that is local, transparently produced, and personalized.

The spread of the Western diet is contributing to global health issues, climate change, and challenges in food sustainability.

Innovations are emerging at the intersection of food, biotech, wellness, and digital technology.

The growth of the global middle class is increasing the demand for meat, despite its inefficiency and environmental impact.

Food innovators are making sustainable meat mainstream by competing on taste, price, and experience.

Vegetable-based meat and dairy products aim to replicate the taste and experience of traditional animal products.

Lab-grown, or clean meat, is being developed to avoid the inefficiencies and environmental issues associated with conventional meat production.

Digital vertical farms can grow food in cities, reducing the need for land and water and addressing the demand for fresh, local, and organic products.

Vertical farming helps to combat food deserts and create new job opportunities in urban areas.

Understanding the human gut biome can lead to personalized diets that help prevent obesity and diseases like diabetes.

As more people suffer from obesity than malnutrition, food is increasingly seen as a component of wellness.

The shift to shorter, more resource-efficient food supply chains poses challenges for energy, logistics, and retail companies.

Digital agriculture is becoming a key component in making cities smart and resilient.

Partnerships between food retail and healthcare sectors are crucial for improving wellness through personalized diets.

The development of food by design is aimed at creating personalized, local, and sustainable options for human health and the planet.