On the Future of our Food
Lab-Grown Meat, Fake Meat & 3D Printed Pizzas
Book Summary - There are currently several technologies in development that have the potential to provide the sustainable food of the future. These technologies include the use of insects, ‘fake meat’ made from plants, lab-grown meat, vertical farming, genetic modification (GMO), micro-organisms (such as algae) and 3D printing of food in general. Especially the combination of these technologies can virtually annihilate all climate issues related to food within five to ten years.
This is a summary of the book ‘Kweekvlees, Fake Vlees & Pizza’s uit de Printer’ from Sebastiaan van de Water. Added to this are notes and additions from Mr. Sustainability.
This book is all about how we can increase our food production for all mankind in a tasty, sustainable manner
Introduction
Climate Change. Deforestation. Loss of biodiversity. Water scarcity. Animal suffrage. Soil degradation. Desertification.
All these harmful effects can be directly and indirectly related to the eating of meat. According to Livestock’s Long Shadow, a United Nations report, world meat consumption has the highest negative impact on the climate. On top of that, 80% of all land available for agriculture is dedicated to meat consumption. It is feared that our diet and food production will soon not be sufficient to feed everyone on this planet.
From a historical perspective however, warning about the negative effects of our food consumption are commonplace. In the late 16th century, Thomas Malthus already warned about the “impending doom” from food shortages which would be cause by uncontrollable population growth. Despite warnings about “food-wars” caused by global famine and disease, human biomass on Earth has quite literally exploded. There are more humans than ever, who are at the same time fatter than ever before! Fertilizers, weed killers, tractors, refrigerators, genetic enhancements; these are but a few of the technological enhancements that made us expand the population and still provide more than enough food. The accompanying reckless expansion of farmland has wreaked havoc on Earth, destroying much of its ecosystems.
It is clear that we have to change our diet. This can be done in three ways: reduce the amount of people, reduce the food consumption or size of people, or increase food production in general. This book is all about how we can increase our food production for all mankind in a tasty, sustainable manner. More particular, this book describes 7 key “technologies”, which are:
Insects - mass production of insects
Fake meat - emulating meat by plant-based means
Lab-grown meat - growing meat without the need to grow the entire animal, also called cultured or 3D-printed meat
Vertical farming - in-house farming without the need of sunlight
Genetically modified organisms - using gene editing to enhance produce of food production, both for plants and animals
Micro-organisms - mass production of algae, yeast or other micro-organisms
Food printers - creating a single machine to print food at home or in a restaurant
Note from Mr. Sustainability. Each of these technologies will be given a Mr. Sustainability Future-Food Rating ©, a rating from 0 to 5 stars to signify its potential as future food. It combines several elements in one, which are appeal, healthiness, animal welfare, environmental impact, scaling, costs and of course tastiness. The ratings are elaborated upon in the personal note below.
About Food
What is food?
Food is basically a combination of energy, water and nutrients. Some plants and micro-organisms can make food ‘out of thin air’ by simply rearranging carbon, water and oxygen molecules using energy from the Sun. This is called photosynthesis.
For humans, food can be broken down into two main groups: Macros and Micros. Macros are the basic organic building blocks and fuel of our bodies and can be divided into three main groups: carbohydrates, protein and fat. Carbs are our fuel, protein and fat are the building blocks of our cells. Micros are the building blocks our bodies need but cannot produce themselves. These are divided into vitamins and minerals.
The key in most food technologies of the future, and those described in this book, is to recreate these building blocks in a sustainable manner. In particular protein.
Recreating sustainable macros, especially protein, is the secret sauce of the future.
Chapter 1. Insects
Tasty Buggers
For a growing number of entrepreneurs in China, cockroach-factories are a booming business. One of the largest factories in the world is located in Chichang, where 6 billion cockroaches are grown each year, supported by a specially designed AI that regulates temperature and humidity. During harvest, cockroaches are sucked directly into boiling water, dried and prepared for consumption. These buggers are especially popular in elixirs and ointments, although a growing number of suppliers make them available for direct consumption.
The Netherlands has its own insect factory build in Bergen op Zoom by Protix. Larvae of the black soldier fly are grown here. They multiply fourteen-fold within a week (!) and can easily be ground to powder and used as feedstock for chicken and fish.
Are insects tasty?
The eating of insects invokes strong emotional reactions, mostly to Westerners. We have been eating them for a long time however. It has been shown in petrified human remains that we have been eating insects since prehistoric times. In rainforests in Brazil and Indonesia, many places in Africa, all around the world, people eat many kinds of insects. It is estimated that over 2000 species of insects are eaten by over 2 billion people worldwide. In many places, insects are even considered a delicacy and are often fried. It is said that most insects taste like a ind of crispy chicken, but it depends heavily on the way it is prepared and which spices are used.
Are insects better for the environment?
It has been confirmed by much scientific research that insects do not heavily impact the environment. They require little water and attention to grow and can survive perfectly fine on waste. Furthermore, Dennis Onings from the University of Wageningen has found that insects have a great conversion rate of nutrients to protein. While chickens convert 33% of what they eat to protein, the black soldier fly converts 50% to edible protein and cockroaches up to 88%. Insects contain all essential amino-acids, as well as copious amounts of vitamin B12, iron, calcium, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. On top of that, insects have not been selectively bred like other livestock that humans have bred for thousands of years. Insects could thus potentially be much improved upon with genetic modification.
Where can I buy insects?
Although insects are already widely available in many places in the West, they are currently not eaten by consumers on a regular basis. Contrary to sushi, insects have not yet outgrown their culinary niche. That does not mean entrepreneurs aren’t trying. From crisps to muesli bars, all kinds of products are being made using crickets, larvae and other kinds of crawly crawlers. Despite these efforts, prices are still considered high and production thus needs to be scaled in order to get the costs down. Perhaps we will start eating more insects when prices go down? Perhaps we have simply not figured out how to prepare a tasty bug. The potential is high, but the public needs to be willing first.
If cockroaches make you feel uncomfortable, this could be your worst nightmare! A Chinese pharmaceutical company is breeding six billion cockroaches every year.
On June 11, 2019, Protix opened its new, 14,000 square meter facility, making it the largest processing plant for insects worldwide.
Chapter 2. Fake Meat
What is the deal with meat anyway?
Mankind has been eating meat for almost 2 million years. There is no better source of protein and iron available in nature. Many experts have theorized that eating meat has allowed our brains to grow to what they are: energy-guzzling organs that consume 25% of all our required food intake. Nowadays we can survive perfectly fine without meat, but meat is still heavily ingrained in our minds. Literally. It has been shown under MRI scanners that even pictures of meat activate the reward center in our brains. In short, bacon is good for us. For the reward centers of our brains at least. Despite all the goodness, the detrimental environmental effects associated with eating meat are the reason for some great minds to invent world-class meat replacements.
What is the secret ingredient of a meatless burger?
Heme. And love of course, but mostly heme. Heme is what makes meat taste like meat. It is a red, iron-rich molecule crucial to every living animal and serves a role in delivering oxygen to our cells. Using genetically enhanced soybean plants, scientists have been able to create a yeast that produces leghemoglobin. This can in turn be used in an extrusion machine to derive the much-craved heme. Listen to this podcast by Freakonomics if you like to know more about the details.
Where can I buy fake meat?
The shear amount of meat replacements anno 2020 is overwhelming. McDonald’s has the ‘Big Vegan’ and ‘Veggie McChicken’. KFC has ‘the Imposter’, which apparently was quickly sold-out. One of the more famous meatless burgers is the ‘Impossible Burger’ from Burger King, made in cooperation with Impossible Foods. Billions have been invested by Wall Street into Impossible Foods and other companies such as Beyond Meat. A prognosis from Barclays estimates the market will be worth 120 billion dollars within a few years.
Technological developments in the fake meat business ensure that the quality goes up and prices go down, further accelerating the market growth. There is still much to be learned in this growing sector, making it a tasty and attractive business to invest in.
How Impossible Foods created the perfect meatless burger.
Chapter 3. Lab-Grown Meat
What is lab-grown meat?
Lab-grown meat, cultured meat or 3D printed meat, are all terms for growing meat-cells in a petri dish. Muscle cells can be artificially made by growing stem cells onto a layer of nutrients. These cells will, under the right conditions, naturally grow into organic two-dimensional structures, such as muscle or even layers of fat.
The first hamburger from lab-grown meat was created by Mark Post from the Maatsricht University back in 2013. The burger consisted almost exclusively of white muscle cells, making it fairly dry. The project was funded by Sergei Brin, one of the founders of Google, and came with a price tag of 250.000 euros for a single burger. At the moment however, a lab-grown hamburger costs only about 9 euros (!).
Even though techniques to grow muscle cells have progressed much over the last few decades, further refinement is needed to truly scale lab-grown meat and make it accessible to the public. The key challenge at the moment lies in combining different kinds of tissue - mainly muscle and fat - into a single coherent piece of meat. In order to truly recreate a T-bone steak, an intricate network of different kinds of muscle cells has to be grown, intertwined with fat cells, which all have to be supplied with nutrients. Experiments using grass, soy and gelatin as “scaffolding” show promising results, but are far from commercially available.
Is lab-grown meat tasty?
When perfected, lab-grown meat is exactly the same on a molecular level as regular meat. What do you think it tastes like?
Emulating meat and all the tastiness accompanied with it is just the beginning. Once “natural” meat can be readily copied in the lab, chefs and creative minds will come up with new kinds of meat, flavors and experiences that are currently impossible for us to fathom.
Is lab-grown meat better for the environment?
Absolutely. Lab-grown meat dramatically cuts back on carbon emissions, methane emissions, water consumption and land use. The only drawback is a fairly high energy consumption during the meat growth, though emissions are still reduced by at least 90%. Furthermore, lab-grown meat is grown in sterile environments and eliminates the need for antibiotics. Apparently, the meat can be left under room-temperature conditions without it going bad for days as it contains no bacteria during production. It is the healthiest kind of meat you can think of and can be tailored to your specific dietary needs.
One of the biggest boons for lab-grown meat, especially when scaled in bioreactors and made publicly accessible, is that it will make it possible for meat-eaters to continue their diets without slaughtering animals. Lab-grown meat will even put vegetarians in quite the dilemma.That is, it could be argued that lab-grown meat is less harmful to animals than making bread, as quite some mice are killed during the harvesting of the wheat. Bottom line; lab-grown meat might be the biggest impact on reducing or eliminating climate-change and relieving animal suffering.
Where can I buy lab-grown meat?
It is coming to you sooner than you might think. KFC recently announced they will create the “world’s first laboratory-produced chicken nuggets”. The final product should be ready by fall 2020. Other manufacturers hope to bring a lab-burger to restaurants within a few years, as the current costs and methods of production are not yet suitable to be rolled out in supermarkets.
One of the challenges that needs to be overcome in the EU however, are the stringent food safety rules. Manufacturers have to prove that the food they produce is safe to consume. The rules are so strict, that some cheeses that we have been eating for centuries would have been banned under these laws.
Despite the absurdness of lab-grown meat to some, it is a widely-held believe that consumers will jump at the chance to eat it. It is only a matter of time before costs of lab-grown meat can be (significantly) less compared to high-grade “natural” meat. As most consumers simply go for the cheapest option, some might not even notice they are eating lab-grown meat. What’s more, many current-day carnivores are apparently suffering from “meat-guilt”, the guilt that stems from knowing the animal suffrage associated with eating meat and the impact it has on our climate. Not only will lab-grown meat take away the guilt, it will provide conscientious objectors (vegetarians) with a way to eat meat. This is big business.
Maybe however the best argument is not climate-change, animal suffering, health or low costs. Perhaps it is the chance to eat extinct or otherwise unobtainable kinds of meat.
Anybody up for some mammoth meatballs?
Why do we only eat a few types of animals? Mainly because of convenience. All animals that were not suitable for domestication have been eliminated from the diet of humans. The rules of domestication do not apply to lab-grown meat however.
Any and all types of meat you can think of can be created, even those who do not (yet) exist. Extinct and protected animals are back on the menu boys! What about a mammoth burger, a nice dolphin-steak or lion T-bone? Or would you like to make it even more exotic? How much do you think people are willing to pay for a bite out of Rihanna’s thighs? Or a Ronaldo-steak? It is absurd and tasteless to some, granted, but incredibly appealing to others.
And there you have it. How would you feel if you could eat the healthiest possible guilt-free meat from any animal imaginable? The tastiest possible combinations of meats you can think off, including endangered and extinct species? What would you choose when you have the option to choose between cheaper, guilt and antibiotics-free mammoth meat or more expensive “conventional” meat?
Check out this video that explains how beef is grown from the stem cells of a cow. For a more in-depth explanation about cultured beef, visit www.mosameat.com.
Chapter 4. Vertical Farming
Solarfree agriculture in the city
Vertical farming in the context of this book is meant as agriculture in urbanized areas, without the need of sunlight. It does not have to be vertical per se, but this is usually the most economical option due to the limited space available in cities. The trick is to grow plants inside and replace the Sun by red and blue LED lights, making them shine purple. Studies show that these two wavelengths are critical in plant development, which is why manufacturers use multiple red and blue wavelengths in their growing-lights. Fun fact: a lot if not most knowledge on vertical farming has been gained by growing weed.
The beauty of this type of agriculture, is that it does not require soil. Water and nutrients are provided by either tubes around which the plant grows, or directly dispersed by air. These methods are also called hydroponics and aeroponics respectively. Often the technical challenge lies in getting the nutrient-rich water mix that is fed to the plants to be just right. Strangely enough, even a few percentages off might cause the plants to die. These techniques need to be scaled considerably, as only low-caloric plants are currently suitable for vertical farming.
Is food grown in vertical farms tasty?
Apparently, the flavor of in-house grown plants can be so intense, that it is too much for some people to handle. It depends on the particular plants however, as some produce grown indoors sometimes lack the depth of flavor it would have if it was allowed to flourish and ripen outside.
Is vertical farming better for the environment?
In virtually all cases where vertical or in-house farming is applied, produce is higher than can be achieved in nature, without the needs of pesticides or insecticides. Production is feasible year-round, independent of seasons and is of very high quality. It goes without saying that the footprint is significantly less than with regular farming. The only large downside to this way of agriculture is the large amount of energy required for the equipment to grow the plants.
Why are we not doing this?
Making a profit is challenging due to the high capital expenses required for all the high-tech equipment, as well as high energy costs during production. Its success is therefore very much dependent on location. Vertical farming is suitable in places like Singapore, Las Vegas, Dubai or Qatar, where suitable agricultural space is limited and food is imported. Naturally, where there is much sun available, the sunlight can be used to create a combination of greenhouse gas and vertical farming. In that sense, it is only a matter of time before costs come down and it becomes more readily available around the world.
Chapter 5. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Playing with genes
Humanity has been playing with genes for thousands of years. Ancient bananas were more like small rocks with seeds, and corn was made from a barely edible grass-like plant. But we have been adjusting more than simply plants. Our most trusted friend, the dog, has been selectively bred from wolves to the fluff-balls they are today. Ancient cows, called aurochs, were massive beasts that pale in comparison to their meek cousins we eat today.
It is a fact that a large part of the world biomass consists of genes that humans have made, or have been tempering with. And we are getting better at it. Where artificial selection in plants and selective breeding in animals first took decades if not centuries, we now have technologies to instantly ‘improve’ and edit genes. One of the first ways of instant genetic manipulation was by means of radioactivity. This is called mutation breeding and has been used to create all kinds of new tomatoes, nuts, potatoes and rice. Nowadays there are better techniques like CRISPR that has lead to plants with higher photosynthesis efficiency.
Genetically modifying organisms can be divided in two methods: cisgenesis and transgenesis. Cisgenesis is ‘simply’ improving on existing genes within the family of the organism, where transgenesis is using genes from other organisms and substituting or replacing existing ones. The possibilities of transgenesis are absolutely mind-boggling. One example is the creation of genetically enhanced pigs that can be specifically tailored to serve as organ donors for humans, potentially solving organ shortages overnight. Genetically enhancing animals is a lot harder than plants however, and comes with ethical problems on its own.
What is the issue with GMO?
A big issue when using genetically enhanced crops is that it can lead to a mono-culture farming, leaving the crops susceptible to sudden death when a new disease arises. This is the case with our bananas, which are extremely vulnerable to a deadly fungus that may wipe out the one variety most of us eat.
Another issue is the potential monopoly a company such as Monsanto might gain by creating ‘the perfect crop’. The strategy these companies adhere to, is to create a high-yielding crop that is resistant to a very specific weed killer that they have a monopoly on. The crops are barren, which forces the farmers to purchasing new seeds from Monsanto every year. This can lead to exploitation of farmers, especially in poor areas.
The commotion surrounding genetically enhanced organisms has led to a virtual ban of the use for food consumption by humans in Europe. Despite their vast potential, genetically enhanced crops are mostly used as feedstock for animals only.
What is the potential of GMO?
Imagine tomatoes that can survive in the barren wastes of the Sahara. Planting juicy bananas not in rainforests but in a fjord in Norway. How different would the world look if we could genetically enhance plants to grow in the most arid, inhospitable, currently unavailable locations in the world?
Not only can this technique serve a key role in sustainable food production, it can serve a key role in combating climate change. A large part of all greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to deforestation in the name of agriculture. Burning down rainforests to plant palm-oil or make room for livestock. Enhancing crops to provide bigger yields, or to survive in formerly inhospitable terrain will virtually eliminate the need for this malpractice.
We have been using genetic enhancements for thousands of years and could not survive without it. We are finally perfecting it and should wield its powers for the better, carefully.
Chapter 6. Micro-Organisms
Protein from micro-monsters
Micro-organisms such as yeast, algae, bacteria and fungi have been hailed as ‘foods of the future’ for over a hundred years. Despite their abundance in nature, growing micro-organisms on an industrial scale is challenging. The main reason? It takes a lot of energy to prepare them for human digestion, especially the ones rich in cellulose.
Efforts are being made around the world to cultivate these precious micro-monsters. The University of Wageningen is working on genetically enhanced algae. In Finland, the company Solar Foods claims to make food out of thin air, with nothing more than bacteria, solar cells and, you guessed it, air. Nutrients are provided in the form of (among others) ammonia, which is created using electrolysis. They call the food “solein” and the company has already received funding from ESA. The almost pure protein looks like grated Parmesan, but does it taste the same?
Are micro-organisms tasty?
It depends. There are many algae that cause a gag reaction, as you are literally drinking duckweed. Yum. These would need either further refinement before human digestion, or have to be used as feedstock for other animals. Of the 300.000 or so algae however, not all of them cause a gag reflex.
Yet they can be very tasty indeed! Brewers and bakers have been using yeast for millennia to make bread and beer, the two things in life that unequivocally provide he highest culinary pleasures known to man. Consequently, the taste depends heavily on the type of micro-organism.
Are micro-organisms better for the environment?
Very much so. Algae and yeast use only limited amounts of nutrients and thrive under conditions that would not be suitable to other organisms. They grow ten times faster than land-based plants and require ten times less land in the process. Even more so, they transform waste into useful resources for the food and chemical industry.
One of the biggest advantages is that many algae thrive in salt water, which is a huge plus. Nannochloropsis is one of these types of algae, used by Algae Food and Fuel in Almere. Apparently they use salt water and excess CO2 from power plants to grow these algae as feedstock for other industries. It is an appealing and interesting concept that can have profound implications if it can be scaled.
Why are we not doing this?
Mostly because it is expensive. Just as in vertical farming, these types of agriculture require a high amount of energy. The bioreactors in which the algae of Algae Food en Fuel are grown require so much power, that one kilogram of algae costs €2,40 in electricity. Many have tried and failed to make it profitable. There is still much to be learned.
Nonetheless these challenges do not stop a man from trying. Meet Jaap Korteweg, founder of the Vegetarian Butcher, who wants to create vegan milk made without any cows involved. He states that whatever happens in a cow’s stomach, is simple chemistry. Chemical and biological processes that can be recreated, harnessed and improved upon. It should therefore be possible to replace a cow by a machine in which you put grass in one side, and obtain real milk from the other side.
Who knows, perhaps we will be brewing milk in the future much in the same way as we are brewing beer nowadays.
Beer and protein. Why not? Meet Petri Tervasmäki, Solar Foods' Process Development Specialist. Petri reveals how the natural fermentation process of Solein relates to the fine art of beer brewing.
Chapter 7. 3D Food-Printers
Pizzas from the printer
3D Food printers are evidently not a type of food, but a technology to prepare the food described in the previous chapters. These printers are similar to regular 3D printers, print food instead of plastic. The cartridges in this case are different kinds of liquid ingredients, that can be combined to make tasty dishes.
Due to the status quo of current-day technology, options are limited and the dishes are expensive. New generation printers are increasing the amount of nozzles and use an ingenious way of cooking. Lasers are used to heat the food; red lasers to cook the inside and blue lasers for the outside. No research has been performed so far regarding potential health issues, though it is not believed printing food is any different than some other way of preparing food.
Jan Smink, a top Dutch Chef, is using the technology to print otherwise impossible to create delicacies. At the moment it is still used as something extra for the guests, to surprise them or add an extra dimension to the dinner experience.
What is sustainable about a 3D food printer?
The main environmental benefit of this type of technology is that it could significantly reduce food waste in the entire supply chain. One could simply fill the device, printer or machine with carbs, proteins and fats (derived from micro-organisms or insects) to print a delicious dish without any waste material or excess transport costs. One could even foresee the advent of a personal lab that grows your daily portions of meat right in your home.
Why should we use 3D food printers to prepare food?
Next to reducing precious food waste, integration of food printers integrated with other health sensors might lead to improved healthcare. When sensors in the bathroom, for example your toothbrush or toilet, are linked to your food printer, your diet can be tailored and optimized to your needs. At this moment however, this is still an engineering dream waiting to be realized. Commercial applications are not yet existent.
An even farther away dream for engineers and scientists, but still something they strive towards, is to recreate the replicator from Star Trek. The replicator is a machine that can create and recycle virtually anything. Meals on demand, no waiting time involved. It is the epitome of food and science, the ultimate of what sci-fi has to offer.
Until we can actually create a replicator, we will have to be content with the culinary works of Jan Smink and those he can inspire to advance research in this field.
Dutch chef Jan Smink uses 3D printers to create tasty works of art.
Chapter 8. Sci-Fi Scenarios
Three-course-dinner-pills and solar food
Feeding an army has been the source of innovation in the realm of food for thousands of years. The logistical challenges to keep ‘the Grand Armee’ of Napoleon mobilized led to the invention of canned food. M&Ms have their roots in World War II: the sugar-coated shells kept the chocolate from melting, supplying American soldiers deployed overseas with a much-appreciated moral boost. They problem is simple, but very hard to solve: how can we pack the most nutrients into an as small a thing as possible?
Unfortunately you cannot ‘shrink’ molecules and would always need about half a kilo a day in terms of nutrients to sustain yourself. A ‘meal-pill’ such as is described in Charley and the Chocolate Factory is therefore not technically feasible. Other hacks are researched by scientists however and there are many magic pills the food industry would love to have. The two main category of pills that are currently being developed are hunger-blocking and flavor-enhancing pills.
Hunger-blocking pills obviously could help millions of people around the world combat obesity. Anorexia patients already use adhd medication to suppress their hunger. Attempts have been made, but failed. One such attempt was Rimonabant in 2006. This was a antiobesity drug that was first approved in Europe in 2006 but was withdrawn worldwide in 2008 due to serious psychiatric side effects. People became depressed as they lost their appetite and some even committed suicide. It did take more than just remove hunger; the pill removed the lust for life.
As eating is a crucial part of the human existence, flavor-enhancing pills would be more fun to develop. What if we could make a pill that would change the way we experience food? Manipulate flavor so that kids suddenly crave for those Brussel’s sprouts or broccoli? Guess what. Such a miracle-pill already exists and is actually called Miraculin! It is a taste modifier protein, extracted from a berry known as the miracle fruit. Miraculin does not taste sweet, but binds itself to sweetness receptors. This causes normally-sour-tasting acidic foods, such as citrus, to be perceived as sweet for about an hour.
A totally other radical way to sustain a human with just the bare necessity, is to genetically enhance humans with photosynthesis. You read that correctly. It could be scientifically possible to put plant genes into humans, so that we too can eat sunlight. It has to be admitted that this is quite far-fetched and doubtful whether it would actually do much. The average corn-stalk only collects 100 calories a day and has about the same surface area as a (naked) human. At the very least, people would have to become translucent and sit still. Basically become plants.
All these science-fictions scenarios are fun to think about, but not very practical to solve our current problems. So then, what will serve our current problems and how can we increase our food production in a tasty, sustainable manner?
Chapter 9. 2050
What will the future of food be?
Food has always been an essential part of the human existence. For many cultures and subgroups, food is part of your identity. The acceptance of the described technologies in this book therefore hinge mostly on the acceptance by these cultures and groups. It is not the availability of the technology, but more often willingness and plain old economics.
From a realpolitik point of view, the economic necessity needs to disappear in order for real change to come. Harshly enough, child labor and slavery played an important role in many economies for thousands of years. It was only when the industrial revolution radically changed the labor market did these practices (mostly) disappear. The same might hold true for the eating of meat.
Perhaps only when the market is flooded with climate-friendly lab-grown meat, derived from genetically enhanced algae or insect feedstocks, will we stop the consumption of natural meat and the destruction of our eco-system. Until we have our own lab-grown meat printers at home however, we need to do what we can now. And what can you do?
Open yourself up for new possibilities of food and accept the weirdness. Try out that insect-bar. Go to the local vertical farm. Avoid beef. Pay a little bit extra for organic foods. Accept that genetic enhancement are needed in the future. If we all do just a little bit of these, we will ensure the food of the future is not only sustainable, but tasty beyond our wildest dreams.
Personal Notes & Rating Explanation
All in all, this is a great book to learn much about the latest trends in sustainable food technologies. It is short, concise and can be read without pre-existing knowledge. I therefore definitely recommend this book if you are interested in the subject.
My personal belief is that a combination of technologies centered around lab-grown meat is the most promising in terms of environmental protein production, economic viability, acceptance and taste experience. This belief, expressed in the Mr. Sustainability Future-Food Ratings ©, is elaborated upon below and will be the center of an upcoming blog.
Chapter 1. Insects
I have eaten insects from time to time and they were quite tasty. Still, it is doubtful whether insects will reach the same level of acceptance as “regular food” in Western societies. Nonetheless, it could serve as the perfect source of protein in feedstock when scaled. Insects could play an even bigger role if they are to be genetically enhanced to grow faster or provide more nutrients, for which I also see great potential.
Chapter 2. Fake Meat
I had the impossible burger once. It was deliciously mouth-watering good. But why go for fake if you can have the real deal? It is my (very) personal opinion that fake meats made with heme are a “transition-food” for the next five to ten years until lab-grown meat becomes widely available. Furthermore, I am a personal believer of the low-carb diet, which is why my personal preference goes out to lab-grown meat as food of the future. If you like to know more about fake meat and how it’s made, I can recommend this excellent Freakonomics podcast.
Chapter 3. Lab-Grown Meat
The real deal. 100% pure meat and proteins with no animal suffrage, virtually no negative environmental effects, no antibiotics required. It is everything you would want, and more. Future innovations might include food that is incomprehensible to us now. Once this technology reaches a tipping point, it will change the way we live forever.
Chapter 4. Vertical Farming
Vertical farms are a great way to locally produce food and significantly reduce the footprint of food (why not call it ‘foodprint’ ?). They are not a real game-changer though, more of an addition or basis for the other technologies to take root. Nonetheless, these will play a significant part in one of my upcoming blogs.
Chapter 5. GMO
GMO is a seriously underrated possibility. Imagine if you could make tomatoes grow in the Sahara. How would the world look if we could genetically enhance plants to grow in the most arid, inhospitable, currently unavailable locations in the world? What if we could genetically enhance cows to not emit methane anymore? Genetic modifications could virtually eliminate almost all issues related to food overnight. Besides, we have been genetically enhancing animals, fruits and vegetables for thousands of years. We have only gotten better at it. The “only” downsides of course, which are almost as massive, is the potential for companies to monopolize food and the creation of a mono-culture in nature. The first is a human problem which can be solved, the latter requires a more thorough and detailed strategy on the correct application of GMO to different kinds of foods.
Chapter 6. Micro-Organisms
Algae and other micro-organisms are, as far as my limited knowledge goes, perfect as feedstock for lab-grown meat. Due to the sheer abundance of micro-organisms available, they can most likely be genetically enhanced to serve many differing goals with ultimate performance. The applications for direct human consumption are limited in my opinion, although it should be said that I am biased towards lab-grown meat.
Chapter 7. Food Printers
Food printers can play an excellent role in decentralizing the supply chain, but are not critical. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have my own Star Trek replicator. It is simply not crucial to have these if food production in the first place is sustainable. What could be extremely interesting, is to have your own small printer to grown your own meat. Perhaps this is something that deserves more time and attention.