In food production, there is a continued focus on sustainability and improving ways to produce and provide food to people across the world. Products such as Aleph Farms cultivated steak are focused on improving the way food is made through advanced lab methodology. There are several areas in the broader sense where the industry is trying to improve on sustainability while reducing pollution. These are not just in how meat is created but also in supply chain issues, packing, and use of energy. Here are several key areas where sustainability is being improved and modified.
Lab-Grown Products
One area of improved sustainability is lab-grown foods such as steaks and other animal-based meat products. These lab-grown meats are made from animal cells and, while made in a laboratory, are meat products and not artifice or a replacement like the many vegetarian options currently available. Lab-grown meats offer many potential advantages in terms of sustainability. These include reduced use of land for producing meat products, reduction in the use of water and grains, reduced chance of illness exposure, and also meat that is not exposed to outside agents such as animal antibiotics.
Farming Improvements
Traditional farming is also updating methods and making use of cutting-edge tools to improve efficiency and reduce waste in the growing process. Innovations and improvements include improvements to growth methods making use of vertical farming and improved greenhouses. Technological improvements also provide better information, such as real-time updates on weather, moisture conditions, soil quality, and light. Common tools being implemented include cloud computing, the internet of things, and drones.
Improving Packaging
The packaging food comes in is a point of sustainability. Materials such as plastics collect in landfills and pollute bodies of water. The challenge becomes finding a replacement for harmful packaging that still provides the level of protection needed to keep food fresh and safe for consumption. One area of interest is the development of natural plastics which are made of organic materials and seek to protect foods and products with a material that is far less harmful to the environment.
Why Sustainability Is So Important
Sustainability is important not just for the preservation of the natural world but also for improving overall efficiency due to changes in the environment and world population over the next several decades. The world population is going to continue to grow and much of this population growth will be centralized in cities. Also, there is only so much additional farmland that can be brought into the food production industry. This need for better shipping, improved growth, and optimization of land use also requires an approach that focuses on usability, so waste is reduced and land can continue to be productive well into the future.
Final Thoughts
Sustainability in farming is going to be an area of heavy focus in the coming years. Every level of food production will be affected by these changes. Improvements will be implemented in how food is grown, how it is tracked, shipping, packaging, and even how the food itself is created. Biodegradable plastics will see use alongside lab-grown meats as science and industry seeks to improve how food is made and brought to citizens worldwide.