microbial foods
We are rethinking food production from scratch, from a biosustainability point of view. The program will work closely with national and international food and nutrition experts and chefs, other leading academic institutions within this field as well as industry, to develop models of optimal nutrition, taste and texture.
Earth’s population could reach 10 billion people by 2100, leading to a 50–80% increase in global demand for food. Current agriculture is challenged to support this, and the climate impact of continuing food production as is would be catastrophic. Food production already accounts for approximately one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions and uses more than 49 million square kilometers of land, corresponding to 38% of Earth’s landmass.To address this global challenge, a combination of new food habits and a radical innovation in food production must take place. The program will work closely with national and international food and nutrition experts and chefs, other leading academic institutions within this field as well as industry, to develop models of optimal nutrition, taste and texture.Breakthroughs in microbial foods will form the basis for future therapeutic foods and fully defined diet regimens (for example those used by astronauts and high-performance athletes). Additionally, the sustainability impact of the microbial foods program could be substantial.If microbial food can compete in taste, texture and price with conventional foods, we could substantially reduce the carbon footprint and land-use requirements of food production. Using sustainable carbon sources to produce food will also allow humanity to approach a more circular food system.