The future of food security: Innovating to feed a growing world

As the global population continues to grow, feeding the planet is becoming an increasingly daunting challenge. By 2050, the world’s population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion, placing unprecedented strain on our food systems. Our current methods of food production are not only unsustainable but also inhumane, particularly in the treatment of animals. For example, industrial farming practices contribute to 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and billions of animals suffer in factory farms each year. Clearly, our food system needs a radical transformation.

Resource depletion and exponential technologies

The United Nations estimates that 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from food production, with a significant portion attributed to livestock farming. The current food system also uses 70% of the world’s freshwater resources, a luxury we cannot afford as water scarcity becomes more prevalent.

Beyond environmental concerns, the ethical treatment of animals is an ongoing issue, with over 70 billion animals farmed globally each year, often under inhumane conditions.

The good news is that exponential technological advancements offer promising solutions to these challenges. Innovations such as synthetic eggs and cultured meat are paving the way for a more sustainable and humane food system.

Cultured meat

Laboratory-grown, cultured meat is identical to conventional meat at the cellular level but without the need for raising and slaughtering animals. It requires significantly less land and water, and emits fewer greenhouse gasses. In several parts of the world, enormous investments are being made into producing plant based, “cultured” meat at scale, with California-based Good Meat, Israeli company Believer Meats and American Upside Foods, leading the way.