Food shortages could be solved by new ‘false banana’ and insects – what we’ll be eating in 2050

POPULATION growth and climate change will work in tandem to force humans to find new sources of food.

Are you ready for a new menu in 2050?

False banana

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The enset or “false banana” is an Ethiopian crop with the potential to feed more than 100million people.

Atlas Obscura says the enset tastes like flatbread – it’s more like a potato than a banana with different preparation styles yielding different food textures.

“It’s got some really unusual traits that make it absolutely unique as a crop,” a researcher studying the enset told BBC.

“You plant it at any time, you harvest it at any time and it’s perennial. That’s why they call it the tree against hunger.”

Alternative meats

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The meat production industry is an stressor on the environment that will be challenging or even impossible to sustain for decades into the future.

David Kaplan, a professor at Tufts University, wrote in a study for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture “As the world population increases to 10 billion by 2050, total food and meat production must rise by 70 and 100%, respectively, to satisfy global demand.”

Fortunately, alternative meats are already available on the market – according to an International Food Information Council survey, 22% of Americans are munching on plant-based nuggets and burgers daily.

Even Kim Kardashian is an endorser of alternative meats – she was just named Chief Taste Consultant for the brand Beyond Meat.

Insects

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Illegal Oats, a brand that punches up their granola with bugs, say insects can make a big impact in sustainable dieting.

“The insects Illegal Oats uses, mealworms, contain 56% protein,” they write. “This means that instead of needing to eat meat as the main source of protein in our diets, we can replace that with insects.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that two billion people are already eating insects in their diet.

Economically, the FAO thinks the edible insects industry could be worth $6.3billion by 2030 – just eight years from now!

Sustainable eating habits will contribute to limiting and reversing the effects of climate change and hopefully eliminate food scarcity in the process.

Products that already available for green-eating will need to scale up and reach critical mass so humans don’t just survive in 2050, we thrive.