The truth about food – Food for the future (2005)

John Krebs

What foods will we be eating in the future?

Watch time: 38:23
A person in a chicken costume and a person in a cow costume
Image credit: Royal Institution

Lecture 5 – Food for the future

What foods will we be eating in the future? In his final lecture, John looks at past developments and trends to try to predict the future of food and food production. He also looks 50 years ahead and considers the predicted growth of the world’s population, asking the questions:

How can we best feed everyone in 2055?

Are developments in conventional agriculture sufficient?

What alternative technologies might be used?

About the 2005 CHRISTMAS LECTURES

John Krebs’ 2005 series delved into a topic as relevant today as it was then: food. From the food of our evolutionary ancestors to the meals of the future, the lectures explore what food means to humans. What makes food delicious? Why have we evolved to prefer some foods to others? Are we really what we eat, and how concerned should we be about the future of food?