0

WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

In this keynote session futurist Matthew Griffin discusses how technology is changing how and where we produce food, and how new technology could sustainably feed everyone on the planet.

 

Love the Exponential Future? Join our XPotential Community, future proof yourself with courses from XPotential University, read about exponential tech and trendsconnect, watch a keynote, or browse my blog.

Firstly, thank you to Seema at Emnes for asking me to be their Future of Food keynote at their annual Food Festival Summit held at the prestigious Kuala Lumpar Golf and country Club, a green oasis in the center of Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia which so far unlike a lot of the country has resisted being developed into housing – or oil palm plantations. While it was an in person event the sessions themselves weren’t recorded so I recorded the video you see post event so I could share it.

 

RELATED
Scientists have visualised stress in plants for the first time

 

Seen by many as nature’s perfect garden ironically Malaysia imports 90% of its food, according to the agricultural ministry, a staggering statistic that puts it on a par with the desertified Middle East. In part this is because of the 10 Million hectares of agricultural land the country has 6.5 Million of it is given over to oil palm plantations, another 1.5 Million is given over to rubber plantations, which then leaves just 2 Million hectares to grow crops for the remaining human and livestock populations. Which, obviously, is no where near enough for a country with a population of over 100 Million people.

 

The Future of Food, by keynote Matthew Griffin

 

However, as the country’s population grows, and as the price of imported foods soars many people in the country are now looking to alter this ratio and invest heavily in new food production technologies that include cellular agriculture, vertical and urban farms, and new protein manufacturing methodologies. However, while those ramp they’re also investing heavily in educating farmers and supporting the scaling up of precision agriculture.

 

RELATED
Scientists create edible electronics using Graphene to improve food safety

 

During my keynote I discussed all of these and more, and showed the audience of East Asian academics, business leaders and entrepreneurs, government representatives, and investors how almost all forms of food production from the growing of Tier 1, 2, and 3 crops to the production of coffee, dairy, palm oil, soya, and even whey, can be affordably scaled to feed a growing global population without the onerous environmental footprint – something that’s as much as a multi-deca-trillion dollar industry transition as well as a global cultural mind shift.

About author

Matthew Griffin

Matthew Griffin, described as “The Adviser behind the Advisers” and a “Young Kurzweil,” is the founder and CEO of the World Futures Forum and the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures consultancy working between the dates of 2020 to 2070, and is an award winning futurist, and author of “Codex of the Future” series. Regularly featured in the global media, including AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, RT, Viacom, and WIRED, Matthew’s ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of revolutionary emerging technologies on global culture, industry and society, is unparalleled. Recognised for the past six years as one of the world’s foremost futurists, innovation and strategy experts Matthew is an international speaker who helps governments, investors, multi-nationals and regulators around the world envision, build and lead an inclusive, sustainable future. A rare talent Matthew’s recent work includes mentoring Lunar XPrize teams, re-envisioning global education and training with the G20, and helping the world’s largest organisations envision and ideate the future of their products and services, industries, and countries. Matthew's clients include three Prime Ministers and several governments, including the G7, Accenture, Aon, Bain & Co, BCG, Credit Suisse, Dell EMC, Dentons, Deloitte, E&Y, GEMS, Huawei, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, Lego, McKinsey, PWC, Qualcomm, SAP, Samsung, Sopra Steria, T-Mobile, and many more.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *