Do We Need Tech or Structural Breakthroughs?

[View this email in your browser]( Breakthroughs, Adaptations, and the Future of Food When I used to think about the future of food and the possible ways we can reshape our food system, I envisioned a transformation, led by breakthroughs that would push us past current patterns into better ones. But as time passed, I’ve grown to realize that this thinking was predicated on the assumption that the only way forward was to make giant leaps in how we produce, distribute and consume food. This required breakthroughs from a technological, structural and to a lesser extent, cultural (or consumer) standpoint to take our food system from where it is today (emitting a third of global greenhouse gas emissions) to one that drains less of our natural resources and hopefully contributes significantly less to the climate crisis. Let’s examine technological breakthroughs first. Plant-based and cultured meat, dairy and egg alternatives or vertical farming fall neatly into this category. But the food system isn’t like computer technology or the internet. It is a complex, interconnected system that has evolved over centuries and is deeply woven into the fabric of not only our economic systems, but also human culture, and the way we nourish ourselves and ensure our very survival on this planet. In other words, it is an essential system performing a critical planetary function at all levels of civilization. But technological breakthroughs don’t come easily. And even if they do, they take years, sometimes decades to truly transform into the norm from farm to what you get in the grocery store and what ultimately ends up in your refrigerator, pantry, and plate. This probably explains why after a decade of growth and billions in venture funding meat alternatives make up only 1.5% of total meat sales while traditional meat sales continue to rise. Milk alternatives have fared much better, making up 15% of the retail milk market, but the dairy industry shows no signs of slowing down its grasp on the food system. That’s why some experts argue that the time frames required for such breakthroughs to capture sizable market share and actually lead to a decline in production and consumption of animal protein are too long, while factory farming continues to ravage the planet and the climate crisis escalates. SO WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE? [Continue Reading]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Website]( Copyright © 2021 Eat For The Planet LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Eat For The Planet LLC 2355 Westwood Boulevard #1809Los Angeles, CA 90064 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.