How innovation in food and agriculture can deliver a healthier future

Fortunately for public health, consumer behaviour is beginning to change, as people become more interested in provenance and wellbeing. “The shift towards quality over quantity, sustainability and health consciousness is thrilling; people are not just consuming but engaging with what they consume ,” says Ryne O’Donnell, founder of the wellness drinks company Sol-ti. “This trend towards conscious consumerism is sparking innovations in food and beverage processing, packaging, sourcing, regenerative agriculture and permaculture, and quality.” 

Sol-ti is a case in point, making its drinks using organic superfood ingredients and a patented UV filtration process that boosts gut health by avoiding pasteurisation. Sustainability is also important to the company and its customers, and 1 per cent of sales revenue is donated to Permaculture Planet, which engages in reforestation and sustainable land use including “food forests”, edible planting systems that mimic natural ecosystems.

The passion from companies and consumers is being matched by investors like Ivan Farneti, founding partner at Five Seasons Ventures, which invests solely in companies it sees as building the future of food. Notable investments to date range from plant-based meat and dairy alternatives to Tropic Biosciences, a biotech company working to develop high-performing crops. 

“There’s a lot of great research and investments [being] made in agriculture – from high tech applications to genetic developments  – and in better ingredients with demonstrable benefits to human health or production processes, with a lower impact on the environment,” Ivan says. 

Already, smart farming technologies are enabling farmers to determine optimum water levels, fertiliser use and harvesting times. Withers clients at the forefront of agritech report that internet of things-enabled sensors, computer vision and predictive analytics are helping to deliver healthier and more resilient crops. 

Gene editing technology CRISPR is a case in point, promising to make crops tastier, more nutritious and more resilient to the impact of climate change – while improving agricultural yields, which could also help improve food security in low- and middle-income countries. 

Unlike genetically modified foods, which are considered controversial, CRISPR can create new variations of crops and produce by editing their genes without introducing foreign DNA. “This should help address consumer and government concerns of health and public safety, and provide predictably healthier produce including fruits, vegetables and meat,” says Ashok.

There are additional benefits for the industry too, particularly when it comes to food safety. AI, for example, can use real-time data for food safety analysis to determine contamination risks of microbes such as E.coli or salmonella; detect allergens; or assess the overall nutritional value of individual foods and their impact on human health.It's not all rosy for the industry. Sorosh Tavakoli, founder and CEO of Stockeld Dreamery, points to a backlash from traditional producers that is intended to chill demand for vegan products like his legume-based, dairy-free cheeses: “I think the animal-based food industries launched a pretty successful lobbying campaign, positioning plant-based foods as high- and ultra-processed.”

However, given the scale of public health problems such as obesity, Sorosh says that entrepreneurs will continue “quietly developing all these next-generation products that taste better, have better performance and better nutrition”.

With health-conscious producers, investors and consumers driving innovation, momentum appears to be on the side of progress – which can only be good news for people and the planet.