It is estimated that by 2050 the world population will reach 9 billion. Digital Food asks how we will feed this future population and what steps can be taken today to prepare for this food demand. Filmmakers talk to authors, chefs, farmers and scientists to better understand the current state of food production and consumption, and the potential of technology to improve food in the future by reducing the need for land, soil and fossil fuels.
A tour of a solar-powered indoor plantation in the Netherlands demonstrates its potential to eliminate the need for fossil fuels and soil by using LED lights that simulate spring climate conditions year-round. This allows for much shorter growing times than in a four-season environment, and the ability to stack seven rows of plants together, making it seven times more space efficient than a conventional greenhouse.
Instead of producing new food for a projected future population, chef Dan Barber suggests making the most of existing crops by reducing food waste and creating a more equitable distribution of food globally. We walk into his kitchen, where he prepares dishes such as carrot steak made with carrots aged in beef fat. He says we need to “turn away from what we want and toward what the land wants to produce” and suggests that we should adapt our eating habits to the environment rather than eating at will or inconveniently.
Author and philosopher Julian Baggini looks at the tension that exists among consumers who want cheap, plentiful, clean, healthy food. He examines the role of trust in food production and consumption, and the need for ethics in standards and systems designed to protect consumers. Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, points out that while educating people about their food will help them understand where their food comes from, it’s not in the food industry’s interest and will lead to rejection from corporate lobbyists.
Digital Food provides a thought-provoking perspective on food production and consumption and suggests some unique approaches to the future of food and nutrition.
