Farm2-D2 — Computers on the Farm

Taking place this week in Berlin is re:publica 17, one of the world's largest conferences about digital culture. This year is particularly important for re:publica, as it is the 10th anniversary of the convention's founding. Re:publica attempts to unite global experts on technological and digital affairs with those who wish to learn and expand their field of knowledge. This year's convention has over 8,000 participants and 770 international speakers, including Joanne Pransky, "The World's First Robotics Psychiatrist."

The Robotics Doctor is In

Joanne Pransky is one of the keynote speakers at this year's convention in Berlin. She is a robotics expert who specializes in studying medical robotics and the effects of robotics on a post-modern society. Joanne has been working in robotics since the early 80s and is very passionate about robot-human relations. She also researches how to ethically utilize robots and what, if any, emotional capabilities artificial intelligence may possess. Her speech this year will focus on how to implement robots into society, and what effects that may have. Additionally, she is going to explore the functional capabilities of robots in society and what this will mean for the future in a world shared by robots and humans.

A Modern-Age Weed Eater

As we prepare to enter an age filled with robots, there is a lot of excitement about what robots can do to help humans in the future. However, Deepfield Robotics, a German tech company housed under Bosch, just developed a fully-functional robot to aid in agriculture. This amazing robot, called BoniRob, is able to use smart-sensor technology in order to scan and determine what is a weed and what is not. This robot, which is the size of a small car, can operate independently for up to 24 hours. It eliminates the need for any herbicide, as well as scores of hours spent on hands and knees clearing a large field of weeds. However, it is no less precise due to its size. The BoniRob uses a rod to ram weeds into the ground, and it can precisely hit a target that is as small as 1 cm every time. This has some major implications for farmers, as it means they can afford to have larger farms for lower long-term costs. Ideally this means that over time, food prices should go down and access to hard-to-grow crops such as white asparagus should increase.

Speaking of Asparagus

Bosch is also currently finalizing development of one of their latest agricultural technologies that monitors white asparagus growing conditions. As written about here, white asparagus differs from its green cousin in that it grows entirely underground. However, the crop requires some very specific growing conditions, including a temperature of between exactly 64 and 72 degrees. Farmers must effectively estimate the temperatures, which is incredibly difficult to do by hand. Bosch's new technology, called the IoT Suite, is allowing farmers to use their smartphones to make this task much easier. Their solution consists of planting robotic sensors in the field at various points throughout the asparagus field. These sensors then send data directly to the farmer's smartphone, allowing them to determine what the growing conditions are like and react accordingly.

2015 Trend: New Era for International Trade

A nation’s economic prosperity depends on open and free trade with other nations and the international community is trying hard for the past 60 years to lower trade barriers, alas, with mixed success. The latest attempt to establish global free trade, administered by the World Trade Organization, dubbed the Doha Round, went nowhere. So, the main economic centers are now working on bilateral deals, called the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP = US and various Asian countries), and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP = US and the European Union). Despite ferocious opposition by vocal consumer and special interest groups, it is widely believed, that these trade deals are inevitable and will be signed in the next two years.

Here we'd like to focus on the US-Europe free trade negotiations (TTIP) and highlight the opportunities and challenges for a final deal especially for the food and agricultural sectors.

The goal of TTIP:

• Enable stronger economic activity and GDP growth
• Expand markets especially for small and mid-size producers
• Increase consumption and consumer choices
• Provide long-term financial stability on both sides of the Atlantic

How can that be done? First: reduce or remove all tariffs and customs duties. Second: harmonize as many import and regulatory rules in as many industries and as fast as possible.

The main sticking points:

• Although industry standards and regulatory frameworks are similar in many respects, especially in the US and European Union, it is very hard to harmonize or change them overnight. Governmental procedures, oversight authority and rule making differ substantially, often for historic and cultural reasons.
• Some regions and industry segments still need protection from open competition, especially in rural areas, or those vulnerable to unemployment.
• Different world views about privacy, consumer vs. investor protection, financial market regulation and deregulation, business owners vs. employee rights and food production and safety practices persist. These differences are based, again, on historical and cultural traditions, and are therefore highly emotionally charged. Even scientists cannot agree.

TTIP for the food and agricultural industries:

A transatlantic trade agreement would have to overcome a range of technical and perceptual hurdles, both of which are highly emotionally charged:

From the European side:

• Widespread use of genetic modification, hormones and antibiotics in animal and crop farming
• Food safety measures such as the chlorination of chicken
• Disregard for the Protection of Geographic Indication for some foods, like Parmesan Cheese
• The domination of multinational corporations in the consumer foods industries and a penchant for mass-produced, fast food in the USA

From the American side:

• High tariffs and protective measures
• Preference for imports from former colonial regions
• A disregard for science in regards to biotech and use of steroids and pharmacological products in agriculture
• A certain European arrogance in regards to the quality, taste and traditions of foods produced and consumed in the US

More to follow...

Changing Palates, New Flavors

Every 8 seconds, a child is born, while every 11 seconds a person dies in the United States. In 2014, the US population grew by 2.5 million people (including immigration) to reach 320 million. Different kinds of family structures have evolved, the average household size decreased over the years, „Millenials and Generation Z“ (the marketers terms for young folks between the ages of 15 to 35) determine, what’s hip and what’s not, as do “minorities” who today constitute the “majority” in many large urban markets. These demographic changes influence what new flavors and food products will be offered in the next few years and how they are to be sold. Here are the predictions from the Specialty Food Association and the world’s leading flavor provider McCormick & Company:

1. Changing palates: Population growth, immigration and changes in family structures are the main reasons why households in the next 110 years buy and consume very different foods than generations before them. By the end of 2014, the population in the US surpassed 320 million, growing by 2.5 million people in just one year. By the year 2050, about 400 million people may live in the United States.
2. The new normal: Any successful new food that hits the market must be clean (few ingredients) and clear (transparent about ingredients, origin, production). This is especially important in the restaurant industry. A recent survey confirms chefs' attitudes and inclinations towards local and nutrient-rich foods, as well as "estate-branded" items and some imported food that is truly authentic. Some venerated mass market food brands and fast food restaurants will further decline in market share or sales.
3. New Asian: Korean and Vietnamese regional cuisine (banh mi, ramen); Japanese 7 Spice (shichimi togarashi = chile, nori, sesame, orange zest)
4. New Mediterranean: Turkish Shawarma Spice Blend (cumin, coriander, garlic, paprika, turmeric, cloves cayenne, blackpepper, cinnamon)
5. New emerging "super" crops and fruits: include Kaniwa (a South American grain), baobab powder, fonio (two new African grains), and soursop (a Latin American fruit). Cauliflower in various new formats will resurge in restaurants and gourmet home kitchens; nutritious natural ingredients, such as seaweed, seabuckthorn, sage, and rosehip (the latter three are especially popular natural health foods in Germany) will be increasingly used in a variety of "health foods."
6. New flavors for comfort foods: Some of the American standard comfort foods, such as cupcakes, cookies, and casseroles will be re-imagined with different spices or cooking methods.
7. Online sales and delivery: social media; Same Day grocery delivery of fresh, local produce and customized deliveries via Google Express, Amazon, Instacart, and Whole Foods; Customized Delivery via USPS; central pick up.
8. Tea: Away from cheap mass-produced tea to unique loose tea blends, tea infusions, celebrity tea blends, tea and spice blends (tea and turmeric), black tea and grain blends (matcha, kombucha).
9. Savory snack bars with bold flavors: such as roasted jalapeno, sweet chile, honey smoked barbecue, honey or Bavarian Sweet mustard, orange honey and cherry pistachio, sundried tomato, basil and olive, walnut bar.
10. Meals in Bowls: Breakfast muesli bowls (fruits, nuts, granola, juice blend, milk); Lunch bowl (chicken, hummus, baby spinach, chopped cilantro); Dinner Bowl (rice bowl, microwaveable).
11. Culinary Cannabis: Back to earth! The legalization of marijuana in various US states and an ever-more relaxed attitude towards "grass" in the US and EU motivated food scientists to take a new look at the health benefits of "Cannabis sativa." Expect teas, soft drinks and snacks to contain some "weed" without the buzz.
12. Eggless mayo: When Hampton Creek came out with "Just Mayo", the maker of Hellmann's - the world's leading real mayonnaise brand - was up in arms and went straight to court. After all, there's an FDA standard of identity for mayonnaise that Hampton Creek does not follow. Instead of eggs, they use yellow chickpea protein, and thus a perfectly vegan ingredient. Unilever dropped the lawsuit in December 2014, most likely due to popular pressure and negative publicity. But can real Mayo ever be vegan?

2015 Trend: Transparency and the Right to Know

Eating food is easy, but the path from seed to stomach has become ever more complex and complicated. As consumers demand ever more quality, safety, flavors and package sizes at ever-lower prices, food producers, retail stores, and restaurants owners (have to) use ever-new processes, food science, and biotech ingredients to fill demand. What fell by the wayside is a solid understanding of what’s in a food product and how it affects health and well-being.

This is about to change.

European and US regulators have enacted new labeling and food safety laws that come in effect in 2015 and 2016, all designed to provide more transparency around ingredients, origins and caloric values. As food establishments have an obligation to make expensive label changes, consumers will be asked to take the time, get informed and make the right nutritional choices for themselves.

New EU Labeling Regulations

As of 2015, EU food producers, retailers and restaurants have to design product labels with new specifications: mandatory nutritional information have to be easily read (larger typefont); ingredients that can cause allergies have to be highlighted;

1. restaurants and food service operators also have to flag allergens for all applicable menu items
2. vegetable oils and fats have to identified by plant used in the process;
3. Added proteins or nano-particles have to be identified
4. Added water (in certain meats) have to be identified
5. The origins of meat from pigs, sheep, goat and poultry has to be identified;
6. Frozen foods need to indicate date of first freezing
7. Online wholesalers and retailers have to post all mandatory nutritional information posted on product labels in brick & mortar stores.

New FDA Labeling Regulations

As mandated by the Affordable Care Act, certain FDA label requirements for packaged food products have now mandatory for restaurants, retail food establishments and vending machines.

1. Food service and vending machine operators have to post the caloric content of main menu items on menus and menu boards.
2. Other nutritional information, such as total calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, and protein—will have to be made available in writing on request.
3. Included are meals and snacks, such as take out food, delicatessen sandwiches, muffins at bakeries, popcorn at movie theaters, hot dogs sold at convenience and warehouse stores, and even certain alcoholic beverages
4. New FDA proposals even envision a new label for packaged foods with clearer definitions of portions sizes and caloric content of the whole pack.

The Dispute about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in the USA

The labeling of genetically modified ingredient is mandatory in the state of Vermont since 2014 and supposedly will have to be adhered to as of July 2016. The “Right to Know” Movement is growing stronger, even in face of well-financed opposition by food agricultural industry associations. Mandatory GMO labeling was - almost- approved in the states of Oregon, Washington and California. A federal bill  - The "Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2014" - is pending in the House of Representatives, which advocates the voluntary GMO labeling.

What makes labeling of GMO's in consumer foods sold in the US so difficult: very few, if any, foods actually contain GMOs.

1. Many food producers, like General Mills with their flagship brand Cheerios, now only use non-GMO ingredients for their products. The "Non GMO Project" has already certified over 16,000 everyday consumer food products in recent years
2. According to Gregory Jaffe, Director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (a non-profit agency and outspoken critic of the US mainstream agricultural and food industry), only 8 crops in the US use GMO seeds: alfalfa, sugar beet, corn, soybean, canola, cotton, papaya, squash. And those crops are used primarily in animal feed, biofuels, clothes, and processed foods. However, the GMO proteins break down during processing, so processed foods actually do not contain GMO ingredients anymore.

Court Battles over "False Advertising" Will Continue

Many well-known, large food retailers and food processors faced legal battles over certain claims on their food products in recent years, among them

1. Whole Foods - understating the amount of sugar in some Private Label yogurts,
2. General Mills - over the claim All Natural on Nature Valley Granola Bars (while high fructose corn syrup was present in the products. General Mills settled out of court and withdrew the claim
3. Trader Joe's - over the claims "All Natural" on several products that contained processed ingredients, and on claims "no added sugar" on products that contained evaporated cane juice, deemed as sugar nonetheless
4. Hain Celestial - over the claim "Unpasteurized and 100% Raw" on their BluePrint Juices, which were treated with High Pressure Processing to kill harmful bacteria

While some lawsuits were dismissed as frivolous, most food companies and retailers settled out of court to avoid lengthy legal battles and a damage to the brand reputation. It is likely that food companies will be more cautious using "health" claims in coming years and resort to other ways to compete and differentiate new products in the crowded marketplace.

Product Sales with "Better for You Labels" are on the decline

The Specialty Food Association News (February 2, 2015) reports that consumers are purchasing fewer products that feature one or more of the predominant 12 "better-for-you-food" BFY labels, including low-sugar, caffeine-free, low-carb, and reduced sodium. Since 2008, products sales declined 27 percent since 2008 in the US, according to the research firm NPD Group in its 29th annual "Eating Patterns in America" report. Last year saw the lowest support for BFY products among consumers since 2004.

Analyst Harry Balzer is quoted that "consumers have gone through a few phases of food consumption, and today the focus is on foods that are unaltered or minimally processed. “Have we altered the food supply so much to make it better for us, that there is now a backlash against those products?" he suggests. "I think we’re looking for foods and beverages to be as they were meant to be."

Shoppers are shifting their attention towards local, GMO-free, raw, fresh and "few ingredient" products.

2015 Trends: Changing Palates, Transparency, Trade

For foodies and food professionals alike, 2015 should turn out to be an interesting, exciting year. New labeling laws in the EU and US; new flavors for changing demographics; novel foods to save future generations, and the potential for sweeping free trade agreements between the US, Asia and the European Union. We scanned hundreds of sources and summarized the most important trends and developments that are likely to make headlines in next two years:

The Quest for Transparency and "The Right to Know"

Eating food is easy, but the path from seed to stomach has become ever more complex and complicated. As consumers demand ever more quality, safety, flavors and package sizes at ever-lower prices, food producers, retail stores, and restaurants owners (have to) use ever-new processes, food science, and biotech ingredients to fill demand. What fell by the wayside is a solid understanding of what’s in a food product and how it affects health and well-being.

This is about to change:

1. European and US regulators have enacted new labeling and food safety laws that come in effect in 2015 and 2016, all designed to provide more transparency around ingredients, origins and caloric values.
2. The "Right To Know" movement in the US demanding the identification of genetically modified ingredients (GMO) in everyday food is getting stronger, with a mandate in Vermont pending
3. As morbid obesity has been declared a disease by the American Medical Association and now qualifies as disability in the EU, health insurers will ask consumers to take the time, get informed and make the right nutritional choices for themselves Read On...

New Consumers, New Flavors

Long term demographic changes influence what new flavors and food products will be sold and consumed in the US and Europe over the next few years. In the US, a child is born every 8 seconds. Just in 2014, the US population grew by 2.5 million people (including immigration) to reach 320 million. Different kinds of family structures have evolved, the average household size decreased over the years, “Millennials and Generation Z” (the marketers terms for young folks between the ages of 15 to 35) determine what’s hip and what’s not, as do “minorities” who today constitute the “majority” in many large urban markets.

Here are the predictions of food trends from the Specialty Food Association, the National Restaurant Association, and the world’s leading flavor provider McCormick & Company: Read On...

Novel Foods to Save Future Generations

Industrial farms, biotech firms and global mega food corporations provided safe, reliable and low cost foods for 7 billion global consumers over the past decades. With efficient operations and large budgets to research and develop new products, “Big Ag & Big Food” has undoubtedly helped to mitigate hunger and increase nutrition around the globe.

However, large-scale industrial agriculture and food production has also been part of the global environmental and health problems, contributing to climate change, soil erosion and over-consumption. Entrepreneurs in various countries, some supported by Silicon Valley high tech investors, have come up with intriguing new ideas to feed a growing global population with environmentally and socially sustainable methods. Whether they will appeal to consumers is yet to be seen. Read On...

New Era for International Trade

A nation’s economic prosperity depends on open and free trade with other nations and the international community is trying hard for the past 60 years to lower trade barriers, alas, with mixed success. The latest attempt to establish global free trade, administered by the World Trade Organization, dubbed the Doha Round, went nowhere.

So, the main economic centers are now working on bilateral deals, called the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP = US and various Asian countries), and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP = US and the European Union). Despite ferocious opposition by vocal consumer and special interest groups, it is widely believed, that these trade deals are inevitable and will be signed in the next two years. Read On...

2015 Trend: Novel Foods to Save Future Generations

Industrial farms, biotech firms and global mega food corporations emerged over the past decades to provide safe, reliable and low cost foods for 7.2 billion global consumers. With efficient operations and large budgets for research and development of new products, “Big Ag/Big Food” has undoubtedly helped to mitigate hunger and increase nutrition around the globe. But large-scale industrial agriculture and food production has also been part of the global environmental and health problems, contributing to climate change, soil erosion and over-consumption. Entrepreneurs in various countries, some supported by Silicon Valley high tech investors, have come up with intriguing new ideas to feed a growing global population with environmentally and socially sustainable methods - or no animals at all.

1. New protein sources:

   This is the new frontier: generating protein without raising and slaughtering cattle, hogs, sheep or chicken. What sources of protein are more abundant and do not emit methane into the atmosphere? How about insects and jelly fishes, of course.

   • New start ups like Exo, Six Foods, and Bitty Foods have already launched snacks with protein powder derived from crickets. If consumers in the North Western hemisphere can overcome their gag reflexes, a big new market beckons to be explored.

   • Climate change also has a huge impact in the oceans: warmer weather and surface water temperatures prevent oxygen to get into the deeper waters, especially in the Pacific and Indian Ocean, which causes the death of many fishes we love to eat. Those species that survive with less oxygen: octopus and jelly fish. Jelly fishes are actually highly nutritious, providing first rate protein and collagen. Several companies have invested large resources to use jelly fishes for nutritional supplements and increasingly in food.

2. Laboratory Meats.

   Ever had a 3-D printed steak? Bioprinting is the latest fad to create meat without violating animal welfare. A new venture Modern Meadows, financed by Facebook billionaire Peter Thiel, is betting on acceptance on meaty dishes, served on the Star Trek or on the Jupiter mission in 2001 Space Odyssey.

3. Nanotechnology:

   Many scientists agree: the use of advanced nanotechnology could make food production and packaging safer and prevent cross-contamination and the transmission of food-borne illnesses. It's just that consumers are still wary of the unknown side effects, if there are any, to manipulate micro-molecules that are 100,000 times smaller than a human hair. Nano-particles or compounds can have different physical and chemical properties than larger versions of the same compounds, which allows them to function in different manners guided by quantum mechanics. Sounds too much like science fiction? Certainly to some consumers. A backlash in recent years has prevented food companies from using nano-technology in production processes and packaging, but with new labeling laws in the EU, consumers may feel safer using food products containing nano-particles, as long as their features and benefits are well explained.

4. Efforts to eliminate food and packaging waste:

   Every restaurant, retail store and consumer in the developed, wealthy world is guilty of wasting food. Whether it's taste, transportation, storage, expiration dates or a lack of smart inventory management - more than a third of all food produced on the globe is wasted. That provides a huge strain on lesser developed countries where hunger is still a norm for many families. In addition, plastic waste from packaging pollutes oceans and landfills. Reducing food and packaging waste through technology, communication and "attitude adjustment" will be a major trend in the next 10 years.