Food Made Out Of Thin Air?

A number of weeks ago, I wrote how the nature of food is going to change dramatically over the next 15 years. We are now entering a period where we see advancement similar to that which occurred in computing. In fact, this extends to many areas of life yet food is at the top of the list.

Basically, our food production is similar to what it was hundreds of years ago. There were some advancements in farming which helped us to substantially increase the yield per acre. The same is true for ranching with the use of drugs such as steroids.

Of course, between drugs and pesticides, there are health issues which many question the sensibility of producing greater amounts of unhealthy food.

This is all going to change. Here are a couple of areas that are already seeing some change.

Savor Eat is an Israeli company that has designed a closed system for plant based burgers. Under this technology, the meat is 3D printed out and cooked. The robotic service could completely change the face of food manufacturing.

The company is looking to have trials in stores within a year.

https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2020/07/29/SavorEat-3D-prints-and-grills-meat-analogues-in-6-minutes-We-are-completely-disrupting-the-supply-chain

This is not the first foray into 3D printing of food. At the same time, many companies are experimenting with robotic operations for cooking and food production. This appeals a great deal to restaurants who are always looking to cut labor costs.

Source

Not to be outdone, NASA is getting into the game. This is not surprising since food production in space is an important topic. It is taking on new meaning as we start to discuss and pursue the idea of people living on the Moon, Mars, or any other "heavenly" body.

A Finish company, Solar Foods, is bringing out a product that it hopes will allow it to feed 9 billion people. The technology is made out of CO2, Water, and Electricity.

One of the main ideas is to provide the basic nutritional components in a different manner. Essentially, the future is where we isolate the proteins, vitamins, and fats we produce.

It's a high-protein, flour-like ingredient that contains 50 percent protein content, 5–10 percent fat, and 20–25 percent carbs. It reportedly looks and tastes like wheat flour, and could become an ingredient in a wide variety of food products after its initial launch in 2021.

We also see the use of land as a problem. Ranching consumes a great deal of acreage as well as requiring a great deal of water. This new process will seriously reduce the impact on both areas.

The timeline is rather aggressive.

While company plans are always moderated by unforeseen events — including the availability of sufficient funding — Solar Foods plans a global commercial rollout for Solein in 2021 and to be producing two million meals annually, with a revenue of $800 million to $1.2 billion by 2023. By 2050, they hope to be providing sustenance to 9 billion people as part of a $500 billion protein market.

For full information on this project:

https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/protein-from-air?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2

The idea of making food out of thin air sounds a bit absurd but it is our future. We are realizing more ability to pull off what was considered science fiction just a few years ago.

When we see technologies such as this emerging, the most exciting part is the speed at which it can proceed. We saw massive changes in the world over the last 30 years due to the advancement in computing. Moore's Law, as an example, pushed our ability in this area to heights few dreamed of. Nevertheless, what was once in the minds of Sci-Fi authors is now part of our everyday lives.

The impact of altering food production extends far beyond the obviously. We are facing a total supply chain interruption which will move where food is made. Presently, we see a lot of centralization with the product shipped hundreds, if not thousands, of miles before it is being consumed.

Localized food production is how the unequal distribution will be handled. We could see the end to starvation within the next 10-15 years.

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