“Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.” - Anthony Bourdain
A Synopsis
2023 marked the 30th anniversary of scientific leadership for The National Academies in Washington, D.C. Members elected to this board are considered the top in their field and one of the highest honors to be received in a person’s career. Their mission: The National Academies provide independent, trustworthy advice and facilitate solutions to complex challenges by mobilizing expertise, practice, and knowledge in science, engineering, and medicine.
The National Academies, in Washington, D.C. held their 30th anniversary forum; a thought-provoking series of science-guided discussions around food, farming, technology, and public health - seeking to stimulate conversations about bringing nutrition and food safety to the forefront of the food paradigm. The round tables focused on data and analysis which led us to topics regarding projects in nutrition education, policy administration, and turning it upside down for a complete re-rationalization of how we eat, farm, produce, and cook our food using data and AI applications to assist in the advancement of our global food system.
Guy Poppy, Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and executive sponsor of Food Research and Innovation, UK Research, and Innovation, presented “A Visionary Perspective on the Future of Food.” In an excellent presentation, he distilled elements like creating a shared vision for food delivery and enumerating over 642,000 food-based businesses in his corner of Europe alone. He urged us to think about creating a shared vision for food and plan for delivery, including health, environmental, and socio-economic aspects of the supply chain from producers to policy-makers. Have a clear idea of what will be needed in the future of food. A key factor includes our land management related to regenerative farming, land preservation, and further investing in the science of what many farmers are working on today: soil restoration and ecological science. The focus on higher soil nutrients - means higher nutrients in our bodies and better food for all.
The “Fireside Chat” evoked a deeper conversation about food security and scarcity and the importance of using good data and AI in all we do in developing future food systems. Dr. Ajay P. Malshe from Purdue University identified several factors for improving the food system over the next 30 years, beginning with his top three bullet points: Secure, Trusted System, and Resilience. Seeking new forms of protein and decoupling from some of the traditional aspects of farming toward an Urban farming model. Not removal of dirt or livestock farmers but adding new farms in urban areas to feed the masses.
It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds working to take us to the next level.
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