More vegetable protein and more agroecology: the challenges of the food of the future

No one doubts that one of the biggest challenges facing today’s society is the transition to a sustainable food system that is respectful of ecosystems and at the same time healthy for consumers, democratic and agroecological. By 2050, the world’s population will reach 9.5 billion and, according to FAO estimates, food production will have to increase by 60% to meet its needs.

As part of the second edition of Green Autumn of the 2024 Cultural Season, the Institut français de España and the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation organized a round table in which we brought together leading French and Spanish experts at the Madrid headquarters of the Institut français de España.

Under the title Challenges of the Food of the Future, the round table brought together Nicolas Bricas, director of the UNESCO Chair on Global Food Systems; Jean-Baptiste Fauré, agronomist and Agricultural Counselor at the French Embassy in Madrid for the Iberian Peninsula; Tomás García Azcárate, deputy director of the Institute of Economics, Geography and Demography (IEGD –CSIC); and Gloria I. Guzmán Casado, founding partner and president of Alimentta and member of the Laboratory of History of Agroecosystems (LHA) of the Pablo de Olavide University of Seville. Together with them, Pilar Martínez, head of Sustainable Food projects at the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation, acted as moderator.

The challenges of the food of the future

Food is the basis of life and at the same time a sector that causes various environmental and social impacts. Transforming the food system, from production to consumption, is essential to ensure universal access to sustainable food. Tomás García Azcárate, an expert in European agricultural policy and member of the Advisory Council on European Affairs of the Community of Madrid, stressed that the current food crisis is not reduced to the lack of food, but lies in its unequal distribution and unbalanced consumption patterns. “There is no lack of food, its distribution fails and so does our diet, based on an excessive consumption of animal proteins. Europe does not have to feed the world, but teach how to do it in a sustainable way and for that we need clarity of ideas, ambition and budgets,” he said.

Agronomist Jean Baptiste-Fauré recalled the reasons that pushed farmers onto the streets of Europe: they had the impression that they had participated in the transition and, nevertheless, they felt that the rules were imposed on them. “They talked about the degradation of their trade, that society does not value their contribution to food and their fight against climate change,” he said. In addition, he underlined the lack of coherence between environmental policy and European trade policy that favours the entry of food from other countries where measures to ensure its origin are more lax. According to Baptiste-Fauré, this lack of harmony hinders progress towards sustainable agriculture by creating a scenario in which “it is difficult to ask more of our farmers if we do not solve policy coherence”.

A real and inspiring example is the one put on the table by Nicolas Bricas, a member of the international panel of experts IPES-Food: he recalled the case of a mayor who wanted to eradicate hunger in his city through an intersectoral governance model, which was replicated by Lula da Silva in Brazil and, later, in Toronto. The influence of these models has spread globally and has inspired numerous cities that signed the Milan Pact to adopt sustainable food policies.

However, “food is not only filling the belly but also a way of relating to others, but we forget that food comes from agriculture because in the city it is not very well known how it is produced in the countryside,” Bricas recalled. In this sense, Gloria I. Guzmán, founding partner and president of the think tank Alimentta, said that “including agroecology could accelerate the transition to more sustainable food systems.” To this end, he stressed that it is necessary to work with social movements and individuals so that the problem can be analyzed throughout the chain. “Agroecology proposes feasible solutions not only at the field level but also at the local and political level.”

However, he pointed out a problem that is of increasing concern: the degradation and disappearance of family agriculture and livestock. “We are running out of social base to produce sustainably. It is a risk to leave food security in the hands of multinationals,” he warned. To reverse this situation, one of the solutions for the viability of our fields would be to plant legumes that nourish the land. However, this measure is complicated if we take into account that these products come at a low price from other countries, so the consumption of local production is drastically reduced

The challenge of small farms

Another challenge addressed during the round table was ensuring that small farms are profitable or how to get good food at a decent price, both for the producer and the consumer. In this regard, Jean Baptiste-Fauré indicated that governments are working on the problem of farmers’ incomes and want to ensure healthy and balanced food at an affordable price for the consumer. To this end, Baptiste-Fauré suggested that the consumer “should find the taste for cooking and buying raw, natural food, and transforming it at home. Buying fresh food and cooking allows you to save and at the same time have a healthier diet. It is a small idea about how to guarantee more affordable prices.”

There are also other problems that concern farmers and that Nicolas Bricas wanted to put on the table: the ageing of the population and the increase in the price of land, which makes it unattainable for new farmers. “Investment funds are arriving and this large agriculture in volume and area will change its face in the coming years,” he warned. For this reason, he urged reflection on land ownership and on creating more inclusive models that allow young people access to agriculture.

In addition, Tomás García Azcárate called for public funds to “prioritise family farming because it is the one that has the most difficulty in making the technological leap. We must decree support for these family farms together with other initiatives that may exist in short circuits”.

In a fairer, healthier and more resilient food system, “we must replace animal protein with vegetable protein and, when we want to consume animal protein, opt for grazing livestock options. This allows biodiversity to be maintained. Of course, it is also important to prioritise local and organic food and to dispense with pre-cooked food, both for health and environmental reasons, due to the high cost of energy or packaging involved,” said Gloria I. Guzmán.

Despite all the challenges facing the food of the future, the round table that brought together these four experts in the field, concluded with a message of hope and shared responsibility. They all agreed that the transition to a sustainable and fair food system is possible, but it requires a joint effort. Initiatives such as the public consumption of local and vegetable products in school canteens, the promotion of local distribution circuits and the promotion of food education and citizen participation are fundamental steps.

The challenge is great, but the possibility of creating a future in which we can all enjoy healthy, sustainable and accessible food is undoubtedly a goal worth fighting for.