The Future of Food

For most of human history, food was about survival. If you were alive 50,000 years ago,
or in most of the world even 3,000 years ago, you ate what you could get a hold of that would keep your body going for another day. You probably died pretty young, but you also didn’t have a high likelihood of coming down with a chronic disease. For most of human history, getting enough calories to survive was the fundamental purpose of food; and, tragically, for far too many people in the world today, it still is. But in the last century, with the advent of global transportation mechanisms, the expansion of cropland productivity, and the growth of consumer culture, the central organizing principle of food has become commerce. Modern supermarkets may stock more than 500 different kinds of breakfast cereals – far more than anyone could possibly need for mere survival. Many of us can now choose between eating “Chinese”, “Italian”, “Thai”, “Mexican”, or “Middle Eastern” food – all without having to leave our home town. We have a stunning array of flavors, textures and styles to choose from – and most of us can access food grown 6,000 miles away, and processed 2,000 miles away – at our local store. A vast network of enterprises are now in the business of growing and manufacturing foods for the lowest possible price, and then selling them to as many people as they can, for the highest possible profits. 

https://thriving.foodrevolution.org/assets/resources/plant-powered-and-thriving-starter-kit-20171009.pdf