As we approach the halfway mark of our current decade, I decided to reflect on what I have written over the past five years about food and agriculture trends. Have we really changed? Regardless of the years or environment, there are consistent themes.
The Past 5 Years
In January 2020, I wrote that “sustainability, climate change and plant-based proteins — all wrapped in conversations of trust, transparency, technology and choice — top the charts. The “animal versus plant wars” and “biased based” scientific evidence adds to the buzz while consumers are left sifting through a myriad of information to try to answer the basic demand “just tell me what to eat.” I listed my “top three” aspirations and desired outcomes for our planet over the next decade: to eat without fear, be plant-centered and personalized responsibility.
As we said goodbye to 2021, I highlighted that the 2022 trends reflect in many ways our quest to reconnect with our environment and food but through innovation and technology; truly vintage with a twist. In 2023, with the COVID challenges to our food supply still top of mind, I wrote that, “Our thirst for transparency about where and how our food is grown and the welfare of food workers and food animals will remain top of mind. With the rise of food prices, private brands and being thriftier appeared to be on trend.
While buckwheat may not have been the darling food product in 2024 as predicated, there were “certain” themes that continued to bubble over the past year as predicted: protein, plant-based, planet + personal sustainability — all unique on their own but interrelated with a sprinkling of new flavors and product twists and turns.
The Next 5 Years
As we enter the last half of this decade, I question whether one of my original aspirations of “eating without fear” will be a reality. From the rise of food insecurity along with food recalls and the potential impact of avian flu on dairies and egg supplies, it’s hard to escape the potential fears. Yet, we have positives that connect and support our personalized health and responsibilities.
With the continued emphasis on “food as health and medicine” and this week’s release of the FDA’s final definition of “healthy,” we will continue to have tools that can provide the confidence of our food selections in 2025 and beyond.
Over the next five years, sustainability, climate change and plant-based proteins will still be “top of mind.” However, if we are serious about improving our health along with the broader health of the planet and those around us, we will need to focus on changing fear-based decision making to informed science-based decision making.