Food for thought; food for the planet

The world’s population is becoming increasingly aware of the need to tackle global warming. However, with the population estimated to grow to a striking 9 billion by 2050, what is the future of food consumption and food procurement for such a large number of people?

Creating a global food system which is both sustainable and meets all the needs of a modern world in constant flux is no small feat. It’s a challenge that requires the cutting edge of both technology and innovation, and as the UK’s leading food procurement organisation, Foodbuy is at the very forefront. 

With climate change and ecological decline receiving increasing attention, catering food suppliers and the wider food industry is being forced to look at new, more environmentally friendly, solutions.

Could creepy grubs feature on future menus?

Eating insects is one popular solution to this problem, or not so popular, depending on your disposition! On paper, it has the capacity to solve many of the sustainability issues we face today in terms of food waste, shortages and environmental impact.

Packed full of protein, vitamins and amino acids, this unusual food source has caught the attention of many food suppliers eager to change the minds of their as-yet-unconvinced customers. Companies like Bugsolutely and EatGrub produce cricket-based pasta, cricket protein bars and powder, as well as meal worms coated in a barbecue flavouring - designed to combine the uncomfortable with the comfortable, while Entocube provide innovative technologies to farm and harvest insects in large quantities.

At the rate we are going, taking into consideration the constant increases in population, global GDP, and therefore increased demand for food products, we will need to double our food production quickly. When you consider we are already using over 70% of our agricultural land, overfishing our seas and battling pollution the world over, the case for insect proteins makes more sense than ever. 

Around 2 billion people today already consume insects regularly as part of their diet – it is a cultural and social change in the west that is needed, which would enable us to redefine our relationship with insects. 

All this highlights the complexity around adapting global food procurement on the most basic level to accommodate changing trends and needs, but there are plenty of food suppliers eager to rise to the challenge and who are already exciting the industry. 

If you would like to hear more about supply chain sustainability here at Foodbuy, contact us here to start the conversation.