Food technology is coming to Massachusetts

There has been an explosion of investment in the food economy over the last few years, and the latest advances in food technology are as likely to come from MIT as they are from Michigan. The most important changes can be divided into three main areas: increasing productivity while reducing waste, increasing sustainability, and producing healthier food to reduce rising health care costs.

Growing up in the countryside, with a half-acre garden of food and vegetables in the yard, gave me a deep connection with the food we eat. My early experiences in 4-H, exhibiting at county fairs, and learning to grow fruits and vegetables from seed packets shaped my understanding of food. In college, I took a course called “The Political Economy of Food and Nutrition.” My professor argued that many of the world’s most pressing problems—from poverty and regional wars to the medical-industrial complex and climate change—ultimately have to do with food.

In the US, we tend to assume that food will always be available on grocery store and restaurant shelves. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has been a stark reminder of how fragile the food system can be in the face of disruptions impacted by shortages and inflation. The reality is that further shocks to the food system are inevitable, whether from future pandemics, climate change, or other global crises. Looking ahead, the future of food is shaped by three main trends:

Increasing food availability

Agriculture has always been based on innovation. To meet the growing food needs of the world’s population, two main strategies have emerged: increasing crop yields and reducing waste. Precision farming technologies are at the forefront of these efforts, including GPS-guided tractors, drones, robotics and vertical farming. These tools help you maximize space use, save water and control pests more effectively than ever before.

Technological progress goes beyond the farm itself. Supply chain management now benefits from advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) that more accurately predict consumer demand, thereby reducing overproduction. Blockchain technology is also used to provide transparency, improve food safety and reduce waste. Genomics continues to play a significant role in agriculture, but is now being combined with precision agriculture to optimize crop growth conditions based on genetic potential, leading to increased yields.

However, climate change complicates efforts to increase food productivity. Changing weather patterns, extreme temperatures and unpredictable rainfall will likely make it difficult to grow food in many regions, increasing food insecurity.

One of the most alarming statistics is that 30-40% of the food supply in the US is wasted. Reducing this waste includes several initiatives such as upcycling, zero waste food, using parts of food that were previously considered useless, and the use of technologies that extend the freshness of products. Efforts are also being made to redistribute food that would otherwise be wasted by donating it to food banks and charities.

Increasing sustainability

The second important trend in the food industry focuses on producing food in a way that minimizes the impact on the environment. This includes obtaining insect protein.

One of the biggest changes in this area is the increased interest in plant-based and alternative proteins, including lab-grown meat, plant-based seafood and dairy substitutes. These innovations aim to reduce the environmental burden of traditional animal agriculture, which contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion. Animal agriculture, especially meat production, has a significant impact on deforestation, water use and overall inefficiency in calorie production.

Sustainable agricultural practices such as regenerative agriculture are becoming increasingly important. Techniques such as crop rotation, cover crops and reduced tillage help improve soil health while reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Consumers are also looking for products that support carbon sequestration and have a minimal ecological footprint.

Companies are also exploring compostable, biodegradable, reusable and recyclable materials to reduce packaging waste and its impact on the environment. These innovations are crucial as consumers demand greater transparency and accountability from food producers.

Sustainable seafood management and more sustainable animal husbandry practices are also becoming increasingly popular, with the goal of ensuring that both land and marine resources are used in a way that protects ecosystems while meeting global protein needs.

Food as medicine

The concept of “food as medicine” has deep historical roots, and ancient medical systems of the East and West emphasized the healing properties of food. Today, the food-as-medicine movement is gaining wider recognition thanks to significant research and institutional support.

Institutions such as the Tufts University School of Nutrition and Kaiser Permanente have published research showing that food plays a key role in preventing and treating diseases such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension. This study helped legitimize the idea that diet could be as effective as medicine in improving public health.

In 2022, President Biden hosted the first White House conference on hunger, nutrition and health in over 50 years. The conference was intended to address the issue of hunger and diet-related disease in the U.S., with the ambitious goal of ending hunger and improving diet quality by 2030. The initiative focused federal attention on how diet can improve health outcomes.

Large organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation, the Aspen Institute, and the Milken Institute have also provided support for food-as-medicine initiatives. In January 2024, the Rockefeller Foundation committed an additional $80 million to fund these programs, bringing total investments to over $100 million as of 2019.

However, the concept of “food as medicine” is still evolving and definitions can vary significantly. For example, Rock Health reported that between 2023 and early 2024, $373 million was invested in 22 digital health startups that offered food-as-medicine products or services. Another report mentioned that eight food-as-medicine startups raised $400 million in funding.

Looking to the future, we expect to see more personalized or precision nutrition solutions based on an individual’s genetics. Advances in life sciences, particularly in microbiome research, will likely lead to a new generation of nutraceuticals. As we continue to learn about the unique nutritional needs of different populations, gender- and life-stage-specific nutritional solutions will also become more common.

We’re not in Kansas anymore.

Ed Gaskin is the executive director of Greater Grove Hall Main Streets and founder of Sunday Celebrations.