Future food questions
- Look at the picture above. What do you think food of the future will be like?
- What kind of food will take off in the future?
- How will we buy groceries?
- Will food be of high quality?
Key video vocabulary
food sources
affordable product
food shortages
Future food video exercises
Watch the video. Which food of the future is the most surprising for you?
Do an interactive Future food exercise
Answer the questions:
- Why might be the problem of food shortages in the future?
- How many edible insects are already out there?
- Can insects be the source of vitamins?
- Will lab meat be affordable in the future?
Video discussion questions
- How can we achieve food sustainability? How can it protect the environment?
- Will future food make people eat less of their traditional dishes?
- Will food of the future affect wedding celebrations?
- What food can be served at traditional festivals in the future?
- What else can fundamentally change in the future?
- What comfort foods will still exist in the future?
- How can science and technology improve the quality of food?
- Will processed food dominate the food industry in the future? Why?
Additional listening and reading about future food
How will our food be made in the future?
From hydroponics to gene editing, technology is helping feed our ever-growing population. We’re here to give you a sneak peek of what food production will look like in years to come.
So, how is technology going to help farmers produce our food?
Precision farming and the application of diagnostics and sensor technologies will keep food production affordable. More data will be available to farmers to help inform decision making for things like veterinary medicines and the use of crop protection products.
How can we ensure we have enough food for everyone?
New approaches like vertical farming can increase crops yields by five hundred percent. If we can use those with hydroponic systems, we won’t need to farm with soil so we can grow crops in new environments like brownfield sites or in cities. We can also look at LED lighting to make specific light recipes which can be tailored to different crop varieties to further optimise yields and quality.
Presumably, these won’t need the same conditions as ‘regular’ crops?
They’ll be able to grow crops all year round. We can also deploy these systems in extreme environments or in remote communities to help reduce their reliance on food imports. So overall, crop yields and quality will increase. The nutritional value of the crops will increase and precision farming applications can help to increase animal health and welfare and also to reduce the environmental impact of food production.
Will we notice any changes in what appears on our plates?
Globally we’re seeing an increase in demand for protein. In China and India there’s increase consumption of meat and dairy products, whilst in Europe there’s interest in vegetable based proteins and how we can make these more appealing to meat eaters. We’ll also see opportunities to farm insects for things like animal food but also potentially human food as well.
Are people going to be onboard with eating insects though?
People probably more used to western diets would find them unpalatable, but we could see opportunities to use ground insect protein in things like protein bars or incorporated into flours. We can also see opportunities to use insects in animal feed applications as a natural source of protein.
What about people with allergies or intolerances?
New technologies like gene editing are used to make crops that meet specific needs, like allergen-free foods or food products with better health benefits to manage diet-related diseases.
Key future food vocabulary
| food sources |
| affordable product |
| food shortages |
| optimise yields and quality |
| the nutritional value of the crops |
| to reduce the environmental impact of food production |
| to be onboard with eating insects |
| gene editing is used to make crops |
| allergen-free foods or food products |
Learn more about the future of food with BBC 6 minute English and about healthy foods with a video lesson
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