You may see lab-grown meat and insects on the menu in future decades, as the world grapples with challenges to food security posed by climate change and conflict.
These new and developing areas of food technology could help provide nutrition to people in areas stricken by natural disaster or even solve the issue of feeding astronauts venturing into deep space, according to a panel of experts at Sydney’s inaugural South by South West festival on Thursday, as the need for sustainable and reliable food production becomes increasingly apparent.
Climate change has made weather more volatile and hotter in many parts of the world, damaging corn crops in the US, slashing wheat crop forecasts in Australia and even accelerating the spread of deadly pests in China. Meanwhile, conflict between major wheat exporters Russia and Ukraine has compounded a food crisis in Africa, sending prices soaring.