What development professionals need to know about working in food science

Levels of hunger around the world remain high, as do levels of malnutrition and noncommunicable diseases, reflecting the pervasive issues of the current global food system. At the same time, the current methods of food production contribute to greenhouse gas emissions while crops also remain vulnerable to climate impacts. It’s against this backdrop that food science is becoming increasingly called upon as a path to potential solutions. “The role of food science will and should increase in space,” said Robin Willoughby, chief strategy officer at the Tilt Collective, a movement builder and grantmaker focused on food system transformation. Food science is a relatively new field that combines chemistry, biochemistry, nutrition, microbiology, and engineering to tackle food system challenges. Traditionally, there has been more of a focus on the agriculture side, particularly looking at how to create more efficient production in food systems, Willoughby said. Examples might include crop breeding to produce more climate-resistant crops that continue to grow despite cyclones, floods, and droughts. Looking ahead, he sees more potential in food science to change what people eat through future proteins, such as plant-based meat substitutes, which are designed to support a reduction in emissions produced by the meat industry. Such innovations also have the potential to help reach the Sustainable Development Goals around health and hunger. “Food science, including food safety, plays a crucial role in addressing global challenges such as food security, climate change, and nutrition,” Paul Sommers, a local food systems adviser, said. “People working in other areas of the sustainable development agenda should understand that food science is integral to achieving many of the SDGs.” As it takes more of a prominent role in the global development space, what else should development professionals know about food science and its potential to have an impact across the SDGs? Devex asked the experts. 1. Food science is set to expand As the world wanes on reaching the SDGs, there is a need for more effective solutions, said Stefan Schmitz, executive director of CropLife International, which promotes agricultural technologies. Food science can be a part of those, he said As it stands, globally there are over 700 million people who are hungry, 71% of people in low-income countries can’t afford a healthy diet, and 41 million people die annually from an NCD — to which poor diet can be a contributor. At the same time, conflicts, such as those in Ukraine, are having an impact on global supply chains, Schmitz said. “Policymakers are looking for ways to feed growing populations while reducing the emissions intensity of products that consumers pick. Food science, again, is a really important channel to do that,” Willoughby added. Examples already in action include crops adapted to withstand heat, such as wheat produced by The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, and rice varieties bred by the International Rice Research Institute to potentially stave off diabetes. More governments are putting money into such innovations, said Emily Armistead, interim executive director of Madre Brava, which creates campaigns on sustainable, healthy, affordable food for all, “but I think it's still not getting the focus and the investment that it requires,” she added. In order for more people to see the value in investing in food science, Djakaridja Sawadogo, a Burkina Faso-based food technologist, believes the sector needs to get better at showcasing existing innovations. “We should let everyone know how we work and know how food science can support more projects around the world,” he said. 2. Food science goes beyond the lab The word “science” implies that much of this work is done by scientists, but that’s not the case, experts said. “Food science now is a massively interdisciplinary subject,” said Yvonne Pinto, director-general of the International Rice Research Institute. “People from varied backgrounds are more necessary than ever to participate in that process.” Much of the work also happens outside laboratories, where scientists collaborate with local communities, especially farmers, to test new product variations that aim to support both human health and the health of the planet. For example, if developing a flood-resistant crop, this will eventually need to be translated from a testing environment into a field with a farmer. “When we talk about the development of scientific technologies, we've got to be sure that they are actually desirable in the market,” said Pinto. “It is essential to start from what farmers are already doing right in relation to food science, and this means listening,” Sommers said. Local expertise in general, said Sawadogo, is vital. “To produce good food locally, it’s possible to improve food quality with food science expertise.” At the same time, there has to be collaboration between scientists across issues given the intersecting nature of the SDGs, said Gordon McBean, professor emeritus of the Department of Geography and Environment at the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction at Western University in Canada. “The food scientist people and the climate scientists are very much intersecting issues, and we need to work together,” he shared. 3. Food science looks different depending on the culture The food challenges that communities face differ and thus the way in which food science can contribute as a solution must differ. For example, in refugee contexts, accessibility of enough food might be an issue, in small island developing states an overreliance on ultra-processed foods might be an issue, and in higher-income countries, higher levels of meat consumption might be driving up greenhouse gas emissions. Potential solutions for each context might include ready-to-use therapeutic food, or RUTF, a peanut-based micronutrient paste that can provide children vulnerable to wasting with essential vitamins and minerals, plant-based meat substitutes, or new food preservation techniques. “For consumers living in economically advanced countries, especially in an urban or industrialized setting, food science often focuses on technology, convenience, and health,” Sommers said. “In subsistence societies, where food is core to their overall culture, there is a wide range of misconceptions including a range of food to eat and not to eat, especially for pregnant and lactating mothers and infants.” 4. New technology means food science will continue to advance Technology is allowing for advances in food science all the time, said Sawadogo, citing advances in vacuum packing that can help to extend the shelf life of food puree to three months, a development aimed at helping combat hunger. As with other areas, the arrival of artificial intelligence is allowing for access to more and better data, which can revolutionize knowledge acquisition. For example, when it comes to crop science and the breeding of new varieties to withstand climate change, Schmitz said these days it is able to “go deeper into genetics and come up with more than breeding methods,” because of the availability of AI, modern diagnostic tools, and data. For Armistead, the advances in technology present an exciting opportunity for alternative proteins in particular. “One of the things that technology can do is to start providing meat alternatives or … you get a burger that instead of being 100% ground beef becomes 50% ground beef and 50% plant-based alternative,” she said, adding that this can help reduce emissions and improve diets. Many technologies in relation to alternative proteins, such as precision fermentation, draw on centuries-old technologies, Willoughby said. They're now being evolved and modernized. “The real excitement area is locally produced, locally relevant alternative proteins that help countries avoid a pathway through which there's an ever-expanding number of farmed animals in the system to meet food security needs,” she added.