Everyone eats. Diets around the world have evolved with culture, availability of raw materials, and economics, among other factors, but it is clear that new sources of meat and other types of food will need to be found to meet a growing global demand over the next 25 years. While many chemical engineers are focused on creating or improving paths to sustainable food production, more must be done to create affordable, nutritious, and delicious foods to satisfy consumer’s needs. Chemical engineers can contribute to making foods more desirable, while minimizing the environmental impact of production, and creating processes consistent with a limited labor force. In this session, we will have an open discussion with academics, industry practitioners and entrepreneurs on their vision for the future of global food systems, the major hurdles to reaching this vision, and what chemical engineers can do to meet the growing demand for food.
Session Chair: David Block, UC Davis
Session Co-Chair: Siari Sosa, SoCalGas