นวัตกรรม “อาหารแห่งอนาคต (Future Food)” ทางรอดสู่ความมั่นคงทางด้านอาหารต่อสู้ปัญหาวิกฤตอาหารโลกThe Innovation of “Future Food” as a Solution for Global Food Security Amid the Global Food Crisis

By the Institute of Innovation for Industries, the Federation of Thai Industries

Food is one of the four essential factors necessary for survival. Most humans can only survive for 7-10 days without nourishment. But did you know that we are facing a situation known as “Global Food Crisis”? This is the most significant problem in the history of mankind. The World Bank has stated that the Global Food Crisis began in the year 2022. Moreover, the recent Global Report on Food Crises 2022 indicates that nearly 193 million people in 53 countries are facing acute food insecurity, an increase of nearly 40 million people from the previous year, resulting from several factors including:

• The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which has continued for several months, has caused agricultural input prices to rise continuously since both countries are major producers and exporters of agricultural raw materials for food. Furthermore, the rising gas prices have led to increased fertilizer prices, as gas is a crucial cost in ammonia production for fertilizers. Consequently, food prices have been rising steadily, such as wheat prices which increased by over 31% in March 2022 compared to December 2021, and corn prices which rose by over 32% during the same period, creating limitations in access to food for various countries, particularly poorer nations.

• Many countries are implementing self-protection policies to ensure food security and have begun declaring stockpiling and limiting or banning exports in over 30 countries to secure food and energy raw materials for internal consumption before export. For instance, Indonesia has restricted palm oil exports until December 31, 2022, Malaysia has limited exports of poultry and chicken to 6 million head per month, and India has temporarily suspended wheat exports.

• The accelerating global warming caused by numerous greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, including food production such as livestock farming, which is the second-largest source of carbon dioxide emissions after industry, has led to rising global temperatures and erratic weather patterns, causing droughts and excessive rainfall, floods in many countries, and negatively impacting agricultural production areas and yields worldwide.

Recently, scientist Professor Julian Cribb warned that global warming and climate change would lead to food shortages, potentially resulting in a complete food crisis by 2050. Furthermore, the World Resources Institute reported that by 2050, food production would need to increase by 50% from current levels to sustain the population. Additionally, we are beset by compounding factors accelerating food shortages, namely the continuously rising global population each year.

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If the question we need to answer is How can we reduce the increase in global temperatures while simultaneously increasing food production to meet the needs of a growing global population?

The best answer to this question is the use of technology and innovation in creating new food sources that can yield faster, require less space than traditional livestock farming, reduce food resources used for sustenance, and importantly, provide high nutritional value that is beneficial for the planet's sustainability. This can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and eliminate waste (Zero Waste) from the production process, from upstream to downstream. Currently, a term has been coined to refer to new food sources created through technology and innovation as “Future Food.”

Therefore, today, “Future Food” is no longer a distant concept but represents our solution and that of the world, where food will not merely be delicious and satisfying but will also be beneficial for our health, our hearts, and the world we inhabit.

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The industrial trend of “Future Food” is a food trend within the global food industry that utilizes traditional food production processes while addressing the reduction of global warming, simultaneously creating a food system that emphasizes high nutritional value and sustainability. The diversity of development in this trend does not limit the appearance of future food, as long as it aligns with the principles of being beneficial for health, well-being, and the planet. Examples of the broad concept of the industrial trend of “Future Food” include:

1. Novel Food Industry Trend, which is referred to in Thai as “อาหารใหม่” (New Food). The Ministry of Public Health defines “Novel Food” with three criteria:

• Novel Food refers to food or ingredients that have less than 15 years of documented history of consumption.

• Novel Food refers to food or ingredients that are produced through processes that are not the standard methods typically used for that food, which significantly alters the components, structure, or form of that food, impacting its nutritional value, the chemical processes within living organisms, or the levels of undesirable substances.

• Novel Food refers to food products that contain components defined in criteria 1) and 2).

To explain it simply, Novel Food means:

• Food that has not previously been used for consumption or has been consumed for less than 15 years.

• Food that uses innovative technologies or methods that have never been utilized before in its production.

Examples of Novel Food include:

• Plant-based Protein derived from alternative proteins such as plants, fungi, and various grains.

• Cultured Meat – the cultivation of animal tissue samples to increase quantity.

• Innovative food examples, such as using Nano Food to create chili paste powder.

• Super Food – new foods that provide higher nutritional benefits, such as insects and seaweed.

2. Functional Food Industry Trend

Functional Food refers to normal food that has been enhanced with specific nutritional benefits aimed at promoting health in various aspects while reducing less beneficial nutrients, such as Lactose Free milk for those allergic to cow's milk, or protein bars that increase benefits using powdered cricket protein.

3. Organic Food Industry Trend

This trend involves the processing of products made from food raw materials grown using organic farming methods that consider the interdependence of natural ecosystems, reducing or eliminating chemical usage, resulting in food raw materials that are free from contaminants, beneficial for consumers, and good for the environment.

4. Zero Waste Cooking Industry Trend

This trend focuses on reducing food waste throughout the food production process, from cultivation, transportation, processing, cooking, to product packaging. Food waste buried in landfills, even when decomposed naturally, contributes to methane emissions that escalate global warming.

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References

1. Food Security Update | World Bank Group

2. Global Report on Food Crises: acute food insecurity hits new highs | Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

3. The Global Food Crisis and its impact on the Thai economy, Economic Research Division, Office of Industrial Economics