The Future of Food
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(Article ) The Future of Food
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- New sources of carbohydrates
So what will we eat?
This all means that in order to feed another 3 billion plus people in the face of climate pressure and the environmental degradation of the main resource required to produce food, things will have to change. Scientists are working hard to develop drought- or flood- tolerant varieties of the crops we know and love, but even if they succeed we are still likely to see some broad shifts in the kinds of things that land on our plate. What are some of the things we might see as these various pressures start to make it harder to produce the foods with which we are most familiar? I’ve identified four major shifts that are likely to occur in the coming decades. New sources of carbohydrates It’s highly likely that the future food systems will not be focused on the same major crops as they are today. Today, wheat, maize (corn), soy, and rice are among the most important global crops. Potatoes are also important but they grow well in poor soils (which is why they were such a big deal in the parts of Ireland that suffered in the potato famine — those are areas with poor soils). Wheat, maize, soy and rice all require decent soils. If it’s too hot there won’t be a good harvest. Alternatives that grow well even if the conditions are less than ideal include quinoa, which has varieties that are adapted to cold mountainous climates as well as more temperate valley conditions. Quinoa grows in poor soils, in good soils, in hot climates and in cold. It is healthier than other grains because it has more protein and micro-nutrients. Quinoa in the desert. We might also see a rise in other starchy crops that do well in poor conditions like cassava or sorghum, or millets. These are common in the diets of people in Africa and Asia. Soy could hang in there because it’s an important source of protein for a lot of people already, and soybean oil is one of the most important food oils. Soy cake, which is what’s leftover after the oil is pressed out, makes great food for livestock and is currently the a major component of cattle feed in North America. |
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