Introducing: Biodiversity, the Intersection of Taste and Sustainability
Food Biodiversity is emerging as a key theme in the dialogue on the future of food. In the face of extreme consolidation around just a handful of key crops and livestock in our food system, we have been moving away from the rich tapestry of foods that strengthen ecosystems and enrich our bodies.
Globally, 75% of our food comes from just 12 plants and 5 animal species. Not only is this a profound monoculture, which comes with all the associated risks, but it also means we’re simply missing out on a world of flavor and nutrition that’s out there waiting. In fact, out of the 30,000 known edible plants in the world, we as a collective civilization only eat 150 of them.
Biodiversity in food is a goal that sits at the intersection of taste and sustainability. When we expand our palates and incorporate new flavorful and nutritious foods into our diets, we are also supporting ecosystem diversity in our food system. On top of that, eaters can support a wider swath of communities worldwide that cultivate crops outside of the big monocultures of corn, soy, wheat, and others. The future of sustainable — and deliciously nutritious — food is one that simply cannot exist without addressing the challenge of increased food biodiversity.
The Biodiversity Exhibit and Editorial Series
To raise awareness and spark conversation around food biodiversity, The Future Market has teamed up with Food+Tech Connect to create a digital and physical exhibit focused on biodiversity with a new family of biodiverse concept products and an online editorial series featuring conversations with over 40 industry CEOs, executives, farmers, investors and researchers to share insight into how they’re supporting biodiversity.
The editorial series will be running online at Food+Tech Connect from January 7–31 and The Future Market will be showcasing a physical exhibit at the 2019 Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, January 13–15, as well as an ongoing digital exhibit online.
We hope you’ll join us to learn more and have a conversation at The Future Market, Food+Tech Connect, and on social media under the hashtag #biodiversefood.
Dive in by visiting the following…
- Read our introductory essay, “The Future of Food is Biodiverse”
- Follow the editorial series on Food+Tech Connect
- Learn about the key issues and what you can do to help in our online Biodiversity Exhibit
