~ Welcome to v14 of #thebalance ~
Keeping with the last few weeks of the “digitization of everything” on #thebalance, we turn our attention to something we all care deeply about:
^^ Not that guy ^^
(fun fact: Melissa McCarthy’s character in Bridesmaids is apparently based on Guy Fieri)
….but FOOD, which is this week’s topic. More specifically, the future of food and how genetic engineering (GMO’s) may be our best hope to keep our belly’s full in the future.
Highlights on what you will find in this week’s post, include:
#GetSmart >>> ~10bn people will be on this planet by 2050. How will we feed us all???
#GetEatin’ >>> A quick look at some interesting companies today powering the future of food.
#GetFarmin’ >>> Urban Farming IRL.
⬇️ More below :) ⬇️
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This newsletter may be coming out a bit more intermittently with August summer travel season coming up :)
***Just as a refresher, the core thesis of this newsletter is to pique your curiosity by aggregating interesting topics in a thematic, bite sized, and relevant manner (w/ original posts occasionally) - ranging from blog posts, books, music, events, podcasts, and ideas on how to stay active, travel or otherwise... And please keep sending feedback my way… the goal is to make this thing worth it for you!***
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#GetSmart
The world's population is set to grow by two billion (10bn people!!!!) by 2050, according to UN projections, and a billion will rise to the ranks of the middle class over the next decade.
This means big problems for our food supply (and even bigger problems for our planet, ahem) if not addressed head on. A growing cohort of largely urban consumers will help lift global demand for food by 60%. Feeding tha2t many people with traditional meat production, for example, will require double the amount of deforestation, which by some estimates will increase greenhouse-gas emissions by 77 percent!!!! 🤯
With an over-exerted planet, overpopulation, and food shortage looming… we turn to the best tool we have to get us out of these pickles: technology & innovation.
>>>> Why GMO???
Developers genetically engineer plants for many of the same reasons that traditional breeding is used. They may want to create plants with better flavor, higher crop yield (output), greater resistance to insect damage, and immunity to plant diseases.
Traditional breeding involves repeatedly cross-pollinating plants until the breeder identifies offspring with the desired combination of traits. The breeding process introduces a number of genes into the plant. These genes may include the gene responsible for the desired trait, as well as genes responsible for unwanted characteristics.
Genetic engineering isolates the gene for the desired trait, adds it to a single plant cell in a laboratory, and generates a new plant from that cell. By narrowing the introduction to only one desired gene from the donor organism, scientists can eliminate unwanted characteristics from the donor’s other genes.
Genetic engineering is often used in conjunction with traditional breeding to produce the genetically engineered plant varieties on the market today.
>>>> GMOs as a Solution
According to the recently released report by the World Resources Institute, world food production will need to increase 70 percent to cover the future of humanity’s appetite. The plan from the report includes a recommendation on increased public investment in technologies like genetic engineering - growing our plants “smarter” in a essence. Thus, creating more GMO’s in our food supply.
For example, Genetic modification of plants has previously saved the Hawaiian papaya population from a deadly virus and may be able to do the same for potatoes in Uganda, soybeans in Brazil and tomatoes in Florida.
More generally, the report suggested four ways to increase future food yields:
1) speed breeding cycles up;
2) farms need to increasingly map crop DNA and cut down the number of breeding cycles;
3) expand focus on “orphan crops” such as sorghum, millet, peas;
4) use genetic engineering technologies to develop higher crop resiliency.
>>>> What the hell is a GMO?
A Genetically Modified Organism, which is the label for something that has been genetically engineered.
According to Wikipedia, “A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques … altered in a way that "does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination".
Think DNA haircut. CRISPR is a technique for this, that you may have heard of.
Fun fact: Bacteria are the easiest organisms to engineer and have been used for research, food production, industrial protein purification (including drugs), agriculture, and art. There is potential to use them for environmental, purposes or as medicine. Fungi have been engineered with much the same goals. Viruses play an important role as vectors for inserting genetic information into other organisms (which is crazy!! More on this in a future episode).
>>>> Are GMOs bad for me?
The short answer is not really. It is not possible to prove a “GMO” food is safe, only to say that no hazard has been shown to exist
According to a study covered in this NY Times article from 2018, “in the decades since the first genetically modified foods reached the market, no adverse health effects among consumers have been found. This is not to say there are none, but as hard as opponents of the technology have looked, none have yet been definitely identified.
Although about 90 percent of scientists believe G.M.O.s are safe — a view endorsed by the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the World Health Organization — only slightly more than a third of consumers share this belief.”
>>>> The Future of Food is Big Dough
In the US, 2018 saw $1.45 billion invested across 200 disclosed deals, according to Food+Tech Connect, with the largest check of $114m to Impossible Foods. If you are wondering where the future of food is headed, just follow the money….
>>>> Global Implications
Taking the practice of genetically engineered food to the next level - Bill Gates, Richard Branson and others are betting that the future of meat-based protein will be grown in a lab as opposed to on the great wide-open.
Headlines hit last year that Bill Gates backed a company focused on growing real meat (aka clean meat??) in a lab - think Impossible Foods but really real.
I am not sure I will be eating lab-grown meat anytime soon, but what I will say is that our current practices of raising animals for slaughter is definitely not sustainable… keep watch on this trend.
#GetEatin’
If you are looking for ways to sustainably eat, I recommend checking out a couple of these innovative companies:
Daily Harvest (shout out to my friend, Daniel Conner!): Daily Harvest is on a mission to make nourishing, plant-based foods more attainable by eliminating barriers to access, cost, and time. With ready-in-minutes foods built on organic fruits and vegetables, Daily Harvest takes care of food so that food can take care of you.
Impossible Foods: The behemoth in the future of food space, known for its “Impossible Burger.” Google it.
Imperfect Produce: More than 20% of the fruits and vegetables grown in America never make it off the farm because they aren't perfect enough for grocery store standards. Imperfect fights food waste by finding a home for 'ugly' produce. We source it directly from farms and deliver it to customers' doors for about 30% less than grocery store prices.
Motif Ingredients: Motif makes ingredients for the next generation of plant-based and healthy foods. Motif uses fermentation – not animal agriculture – to make nutritious and great tasting ingredients.
#GetFarmin’
If you aren’t into lab grown meats, but also aren’t a fan of farm country, then luck for you the farms are now being brought to you, urban dweller. Commercial urban farming is here. If you want to see what this looks like IRL, check out Brooklyn Grange (with urban farms in both Brooklyn and Queens).
“Brooklyn Grange is the leading rooftop farming and intensive green roofing business in the US. We operate the world’s largest rooftop soil farms, located on three roofs in New York City, and grow over 80,000 lbs of organically-cultivated produce per year.”
For you New Yorkers, they have awesome events regularly (dinner parties, yoga, special tours, etc.) - make sure you subscribe to their newsletter or check out their Instagram.
(I love this little guy)
Have a great week all!!
Curiously,
Brian
***Including a snippet from the Exponential View newsletter (a must read for me each week), which posts the below carbon tracker. Latest update below:
“Each week, we’re going to remind you of the CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
The latest measurement (as of July 25): 410.80 ppm; 12 months ago: 408ppm; 25 years ago: 360ppm; 250 years ago, est: 250ppm. Share this reminder with your community by forwarding this email or tweeting this.
Climate change adaptation is not just a matter of keeping the sea out or building more resilient city infrastructure. It’s also about social adaptation—the laws, the institutions and the basic commitment to recognizing the rights and needs of those worst affected by climate change.
Focus on the delta over the past 12 months. The delta itself continues to increase. We are ~3,951 days from the dreaded 450ppm threshold.”***
A little bit about me:
My friends call me Block. Minnesota born & raised, I now live and work in New York City.
I am endlessly curious and eternally optimistic. I have a passion for new ideas, obsessed with all things technology, and am always seeking to broaden my perspective while striving for balance.
I am an open finance enthusiast, futurist, investor, entrepreneur, builder, advisor, life long learner, hockey player, traveler, podcast addict, hip-hop head, e-newsletter junkie, event planner, and comedic-short producer. Follow me on Twitter here and Instagram here.
“Find a question that makes the world interesting.” - Paul Graham
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