Key takeways:
- Food is not merely about surviving, but has a dominant social position in society.
- The focus should be on food production with and for local communities.
- Technology can change the food system entirely (and rapidly)
Therefore, we should not use technology as a means of producing (more) bulk food. Rather, we should use technology to solve climate issues. There are many opportunities already. For example:
- Sustainable meat production
- Replacement of soya to prevent further deforestation
- Vertical farming: Climate neutral food production
Van de Kreeke emphasizes the connection with stakeholders in regard to food production. Governments, citizens and companies should all be involved. Carolyn Steele mentions that the Covid pandemic further alienates citizens from the food system (as people use mobile phones to order food). Urban farming provides citizens with the possibility to experience and therefore connect to food. Different solutions (e.g. organic farming and vertical farming) can and should co-exist.
There are myriad of reasons to use technology the right way. For example to:
- Enhance biodiversity
- Further develop vertical farming
- Decreasing inequalities between the global north and south
- Stimulate circular loops in food production. For example using wastewater and organic waste from restaurants to grow crops.
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