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The Future of Food (WIRED guides): How to Feed the Planet Without Destroying It
With a global population estimated to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050 we face a huge challenge in feeding everyone on the planet. How is that to be achieved?
In this brilliantly insightful, one stop guide WIRED journalist Matt Reynolds assesses the limits and drawbacks of current food production and looks at the ways in which they can be tackled. He considers the potential for lab-grown meat to replace inefficient livestock farming. He talks to the scientists hoping to perfect more productive and disease-resistant crops. He explores initiatives to make agriculture less environmentally damaging and to reduce food waste. And he addresses the fundamental how do we feed more people while using fewer of the Earth's resources?
In this brilliantly insightful, one stop guide WIRED journalist Matt Reynolds assesses the limits and drawbacks of current food production and looks at the ways in which they can be tackled. He considers the potential for lab-grown meat to replace inefficient livestock farming. He talks to the scientists hoping to perfect more productive and disease-resistant crops. He explores initiatives to make agriculture less environmentally damaging and to reduce food waste. And he addresses the fundamental how do we feed more people while using fewer of the Earth's resources?
- GenresNonfiction
192 pages, Paperback
Published September 16, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 21, 2022
Concise, clear and informative. Recommended.
February 19, 2023
Concise, little book about the innovations in farming and how we can decrease food waste.
November 27, 2021
Well written and so really scaring, but there is a little bit of hope, assuming the light at the end of the tunnel isn't that of an oncoming train....
Ben scritto e quindi decisamente spaventoso, fortunatamente c'é un pochino di speranza che si intravede, sempre che la luce in fondo al tunnel non sia quella di un treno in arrivo....
Ben scritto e quindi decisamente spaventoso, fortunatamente c'é un pochino di speranza che si intravede, sempre che la luce in fondo al tunnel non sia quella di un treno in arrivo....
July 10, 2025
3.5 stars.
Still have a long way to go for all mankind.
Still have a long way to go for all mankind.
December 12, 2022
Great overview off the strugles around food in our world. It's also hopefull about the new inovations and possibilities that lay ahead. All captured in a small summarized book.
March 14, 2022
Buku ini secara garis besar menampilkan perkembangan teknologi pangan terbaru. Namun menurut saya, buku ini kurang menjabarkan masalah dari produksi pangan, seperti: apa ancamannya? mengapa begitu penting? bagaimana proses merusak-nya? dll. Untung saya sudah membaca beberapa buku yang mirip, jadinya masalah pangan modern sudah jelas di benak saya sehingga nyambung dengan solusi2 yang dijabarkan di buku ini.
Apa saja solusi potensial untuk permasalahan pangan sekarang? Setidaknya ada beberapa solusi yang menarik bagi saya:
1. Daging Berbasis Tumbuhan dan Daging Buatan.
Teknologi produksi daging ramah lingkungan memang sangat krusial untuk mencegah efek Gas Rumah KAca yang begitu besar dari produksi daging, terutama daging sapi. Beberapa start-up telah mencoba untuk merilis produk daging berbahan tumbuhan yang mendekati rasa dan tekstur daging sapi.
Disamping itu, berkembangnya pemahaman bioteknologi modern memungkinkan manusia membuat daging dari nol di dalam Laboratorium (cultured-meat). Caranya dengan mengambil secuil jaringan kaki sapi dan memberi semua nutrisi yang diperlukan jaringan tersebut untuk berkembang menjadi daging kaki sapi (di dalam bioreaktor/cawan petri). Walaupun masih belum sempurna (mahal, gizi kurang lengkap, dll), tapi progress teknologi ini sangat menjanjikan untuk masa depan daging yang ramah lingkungan.
2. Persilangan Sifat dan Metode Gen Editing.
Efek pemanasan global membuat cuaca tidak bisa diprediksi, banjir dan badai kian parah. Semua ini sangat berdampak terhadap agrikultur bahan pangan. Dengan metode persilangan, ilmuwan bisa mengawinkan jenis tanaman pangan yang lebih tahan terhadap kemarau atau hujan sehingga variasi yang dihasilkan lebih beradaptasi dengan perubahan lingkungan daerah setempat. Conrtohnya, para ilmuwan bisa menghasilkan jenis padi yang bisa hidup meski tergenang banjir hingga 2 minggu dan faktanya, teknologi ini mencegah peristiwa gagal panen di Bangladesh pada 2006 lalu.
Teknologi lainnya yang sangat berpeluang adalah Metode Gen Editing atau istilahnya CRISPR. Metode ini memungkinkan manusia untuk mengedit gen atau sifat tertentu untuk dihilangkan atau dimunculkan tanpa melalui proses persilangan yang rumit. Teknologi ini juga sangat berpotensi menghilangkan penyakit dan virus yang ada pada tanaman seperti virus TR4 pada pisang. Namun teknologi ini masih baru dan hanya berpusat pada daerah yang maju saja, namun sangat sangat sangat menjanjikan.
3. Masih ada teknlogi atau solusi lain, tapi saya tidak bisa jabarkan disini, karena lumayan panjang jadinya, hehe. Seperti:
- Mengontrol hama dengan metode biocontrol,
- Indoor-farm yang memecahkan masalah kekurangan air/irigasi dan lahan
- Peralihan menuju protein berbasis ikan, budidaya ikan di darat,
- dll.
Intinya buku ini menjabarkan solusi yang potensial yang mungkin harus lebih diperhatikan manusia guna mengatasi masalah pangan, yang jelas manusia tidak akan bisa hidup sejahtera tanpa pangan. Buku ini sangat baik dalam menjabarkan solusi dan tantangan tersebut, namun kurang lengkap dalam membahas urgensi dari permasalahan pangan.
Rating asli dari saya: 7.8/10
Apa saja solusi potensial untuk permasalahan pangan sekarang? Setidaknya ada beberapa solusi yang menarik bagi saya:
1. Daging Berbasis Tumbuhan dan Daging Buatan.
Teknologi produksi daging ramah lingkungan memang sangat krusial untuk mencegah efek Gas Rumah KAca yang begitu besar dari produksi daging, terutama daging sapi. Beberapa start-up telah mencoba untuk merilis produk daging berbahan tumbuhan yang mendekati rasa dan tekstur daging sapi.
Disamping itu, berkembangnya pemahaman bioteknologi modern memungkinkan manusia membuat daging dari nol di dalam Laboratorium (cultured-meat). Caranya dengan mengambil secuil jaringan kaki sapi dan memberi semua nutrisi yang diperlukan jaringan tersebut untuk berkembang menjadi daging kaki sapi (di dalam bioreaktor/cawan petri). Walaupun masih belum sempurna (mahal, gizi kurang lengkap, dll), tapi progress teknologi ini sangat menjanjikan untuk masa depan daging yang ramah lingkungan.
2. Persilangan Sifat dan Metode Gen Editing.
Efek pemanasan global membuat cuaca tidak bisa diprediksi, banjir dan badai kian parah. Semua ini sangat berdampak terhadap agrikultur bahan pangan. Dengan metode persilangan, ilmuwan bisa mengawinkan jenis tanaman pangan yang lebih tahan terhadap kemarau atau hujan sehingga variasi yang dihasilkan lebih beradaptasi dengan perubahan lingkungan daerah setempat. Conrtohnya, para ilmuwan bisa menghasilkan jenis padi yang bisa hidup meski tergenang banjir hingga 2 minggu dan faktanya, teknologi ini mencegah peristiwa gagal panen di Bangladesh pada 2006 lalu.
Teknologi lainnya yang sangat berpeluang adalah Metode Gen Editing atau istilahnya CRISPR. Metode ini memungkinkan manusia untuk mengedit gen atau sifat tertentu untuk dihilangkan atau dimunculkan tanpa melalui proses persilangan yang rumit. Teknologi ini juga sangat berpotensi menghilangkan penyakit dan virus yang ada pada tanaman seperti virus TR4 pada pisang. Namun teknologi ini masih baru dan hanya berpusat pada daerah yang maju saja, namun sangat sangat sangat menjanjikan.
3. Masih ada teknlogi atau solusi lain, tapi saya tidak bisa jabarkan disini, karena lumayan panjang jadinya, hehe. Seperti:
- Mengontrol hama dengan metode biocontrol,
- Indoor-farm yang memecahkan masalah kekurangan air/irigasi dan lahan
- Peralihan menuju protein berbasis ikan, budidaya ikan di darat,
- dll.
Intinya buku ini menjabarkan solusi yang potensial yang mungkin harus lebih diperhatikan manusia guna mengatasi masalah pangan, yang jelas manusia tidak akan bisa hidup sejahtera tanpa pangan. Buku ini sangat baik dalam menjabarkan solusi dan tantangan tersebut, namun kurang lengkap dalam membahas urgensi dari permasalahan pangan.
Rating asli dari saya: 7.8/10
June 2, 2022
I feel that this is a great book for someone who knows nothing about the food system and wants to get a general idea for technologies which are on the horizon for better future food provision.
I was wanting a lot more from this book. It only covered agriculture (briefly), neither meat, dairy nor crops in much detail and then touched on aquaculture and then food waste. This book could have been great, it could have been more informative and more engaging, but unfortunately it was too basic and only scraped at the edges of what is a very important topic.
On another note, the text was also a bit strange, in many place throughout the book it appeared as though there were no spaces between words which made some sentences quite difficult to read.
I was wanting a lot more from this book. It only covered agriculture (briefly), neither meat, dairy nor crops in much detail and then touched on aquaculture and then food waste. This book could have been great, it could have been more informative and more engaging, but unfortunately it was too basic and only scraped at the edges of what is a very important topic.
On another note, the text was also a bit strange, in many place throughout the book it appeared as though there were no spaces between words which made some sentences quite difficult to read.
March 8, 2023
Reynolds, who claims to be an environmentalist & climate evangelist, advocates heartily for Bayer (formerly Monsanto) GM crops on false claims of increased crop yields, despite the fact that Round-up-ready yields diminish over time, as well as causing significant groundwater pollution, poisoning farmers, and creating increased pesticide resistance in the pests themselves, thereby requiring am arms race of increasingly toxic (carcinogenic, mutagenic, estrogenic) pesticides that get into children through their mothers’ diets well before they’re even born.
This book is written like it’s still 2008 & no glyphosate lawsuit ever happened; no African countries ever pushed back against gmos after suffering disaster ten years ago under the bill & melinda gates’ foundation’s “philanthropy” efforts. Total gaslighting.
The fact that he is such a hearty advocate of GM crops without any disclaimers about the source of those crops or the increased pesticide use on them, their long term sustainability/efficacy, or those significant ecological impacts (which kill off many animals that naturally prey on the pests and therefore provide organic pest management solutions that dwindle the more big ag turns to these panic button methods), is enough in my mind to discredit the majority of his suggestions. He is clearly drinking the Kool-aid or otherwise a biotech / big ag shill. And not anyone we should be turning to for solutions to this worsening climate crisis.
Well, I guess we know which lobbyists are buttering Wired’s bread. If Reynolds isn’t on their payroll, he ought to be.
This book is written like it’s still 2008 & no glyphosate lawsuit ever happened; no African countries ever pushed back against gmos after suffering disaster ten years ago under the bill & melinda gates’ foundation’s “philanthropy” efforts. Total gaslighting.
The fact that he is such a hearty advocate of GM crops without any disclaimers about the source of those crops or the increased pesticide use on them, their long term sustainability/efficacy, or those significant ecological impacts (which kill off many animals that naturally prey on the pests and therefore provide organic pest management solutions that dwindle the more big ag turns to these panic button methods), is enough in my mind to discredit the majority of his suggestions. He is clearly drinking the Kool-aid or otherwise a biotech / big ag shill. And not anyone we should be turning to for solutions to this worsening climate crisis.
Well, I guess we know which lobbyists are buttering Wired’s bread. If Reynolds isn’t on their payroll, he ought to be.
March 2, 2024
More than a book this looks like a long panflet. The content is informative, light to read, recent and conveniently short. I do think the author disregarded the possibility of insects as food for humans, as he only covered insects for livestock/fish feed. However everywhere else the analysis was very complete and informative providing numbers and evidence of illustrative examples to show the distinct possibilities. I also appreciated that the author's objectivity while talking about every path, as some authors only advertise evidence on favour of their own agenda while ignoring conflicting evidence. Not in this case.
My main gripe with the book is the citation system, which only provides links. This can be frustrating for readers who wish to delve deeper into the evidence cited.
Besides this, I do think this is a great book for any tinkerer wondering how to feed humanity amidst the challenge of a growing population. As someone who has recently become engrossed in this topic and has read five books on the subject, I can say that I would eagerly explore other titles by this author on different topics. The level of research and journalistic integrity displayed here is amazing.
My main gripe with the book is the citation system, which only provides links. This can be frustrating for readers who wish to delve deeper into the evidence cited.
Besides this, I do think this is a great book for any tinkerer wondering how to feed humanity amidst the challenge of a growing population. As someone who has recently become engrossed in this topic and has read five books on the subject, I can say that I would eagerly explore other titles by this author on different topics. The level of research and journalistic integrity displayed here is amazing.
October 12, 2024
The future of food is at a critical juncture. The world's food system is facing unprecedented challenges, from climate change and biodiversity loss to hunger and malnutrition. However, this crisis also presents an opportunity for transformation as discussed in different chapters. We can feed the planet without destroying it by adopting sustainable agricultural practices, reducing food waste and loss, promoting equitable and inclusive food systems. By doing so, we can ensure a food-secure future for generations to come.
A must read for everyone with interest in the future of humanity.
Highly recommended for students of Environmental Economics, Food Science, Agriculture, Biology, Crop Production amongst many others.
A must read for everyone with interest in the future of humanity.
Highly recommended for students of Environmental Economics, Food Science, Agriculture, Biology, Crop Production amongst many others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2022
Starting with Malthus it became clear to any misanthrope who thinks of himself too good for the human kind that the inferiors are going to multiply till they starved to death. And decade, after decade, the population grew in spite of Governments doing their best to massacre humans. Now it seems the starvation was edited and the inferiors are going to overfed themselves. Same prophecy, with a small twist. And even that seems to be getting better. So the latest edit: sure, the inferiors can feed themselves, but certainly they are going to destroy the planet. This volume presents the same hate of humanity, with minor edits.
September 20, 2021
A concise, useful guide to new developments in food ie artificial lab meat and why it is so essential that we change our habits now and reform food production to protect our planet and try to feed the world's 7 billion people. For anyone interested in the role of food in addressing the climate crisis.
July 9, 2022
Well written, and easy to understand, ideal for readers who begin their journey into the future of food.
On the other hand it doesn't go deeper and for example there is no reference to the insect industry as source of proteins. It lacks depth and analysis but overall it sums up the problems well.
On the other hand it doesn't go deeper and for example there is no reference to the insect industry as source of proteins. It lacks depth and analysis but overall it sums up the problems well.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews