Future Business Seen Through "Food"

How Our Eating Habits Have Changed During the Pandemic

It has been over a month since the "State of Emergency" was declared due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, and over two months since Dentsu Inc. shifted to remote work/working from home. Personally, having spent these past two months almost entirely at home without using public transportation even once, my work style has changed significantly, and so have my eating habits.

First, with schools closed, I no longer need to make bento lunches, so I now cook three full meals a day. The frequent drinking parties I used to attend have completely disappeared, replaced by online gatherings. Opportunities to share meals with my family have increased dramatically. The amount I buy in a single shopping trip has increased significantly. The leaf tea at home is disappearing much faster... The list of changes goes on and on.

I imagine many of you reading this are experiencing similar situations to some degree.

Just as my social gatherings vanished, I imagine most people's dining out frequency has dropped considerably. Consequently, many in the food service industry are now struggling.

I'm doing my small part too—trying to use takeout from local restaurants I frequent, and buying or ordering from support sites for struggling producers and food businesses. But sadly, I can't help but feel the limits of my own refrigerator and freezer capacity, and the limits of what one person can do.

However, it's also true that while each individual's contribution may be small, together they can create significant impact. When struggling producers or businesses post on social media, a nationwide support network spreads, and I've seen their stock sell out in no time. This shows society's willingness to solve its own problems collectively.

Now, the theme of the upcoming series from Dentsu Inc.'s "Food Lifestyle Lab" is "Food of the Future." This series was actually planned to start this March, with preparations beginning last year, but we held off on publishing it until now.

The reason is that for many individuals and businesses severely impacted by the pandemic, the immediate priority is securing "food for today." "Food for the future" simply wasn't something they could contemplate.

However, the "Future of Food" we explore here is not about painting a glittering, dreamlike vision of the future. Its foundation lies in "solving social issues." This is because the "Future of Food" cannot be considered in isolation from the social challenges we face now and those likely to arise in the future.

The greatest social challenge of the "present," as the world battles an unknown virus, is precisely the myriad events triggered by this pandemic. Yet, taking a slightly longer view, we see numerous other profoundly serious social challenges looming just ahead. Although we once considered shelving this series, this perspective made us reconsider. We now believe it might offer some assistance to you all moving forward, and so we are launching it.

We hope you will read this series while imagining the world "beyond" the massive wall of "COVID-19" standing before us.

Is the "Future of Food" Positive? Negative?

By the way, when you hear "Future Food," what image comes to mind?

Vegetables grown in automated, unmanned factories, meat and fish cultivated from cells. Daily menus planned by AI, cooking done by robots. Even distant family members gathered around the table together via VR (Virtual Reality)... Is that the kind of dining scene you picture?

Or maybe you're thinking, "Nah, complete nutrition foods that provide all necessary nutrients in a single serving will be mainstream, and dining tables will be a thing of the past."

Huh? You say this has already started and isn't the future at all?

Then let's change the question.

Is "the future of food" something bright and positive for you?
Or is it something negative you'd rather not think about?

"The Future of Food" is both a solution to social challenges and a business opportunity

As mentioned earlier, we cannot consider the "future of food" without addressing current and future societal challenges. It goes without saying that our food landscape will undergo significant changes due to factors like population and household decline, an aging society, more working women, and an increase in single-person households. Looking globally, explosive population growth and food shortages caused by global warming are inevitable. For Japan, which imports the majority of its food, this is by no means someone else's problem.

The term "social issues" might sound overly complex. But "food" is one of humanity's three fundamental needs—not just for survival, but also for enjoyment. For a foodie like me, who finds eating the greatest pleasure in daily life, the thought that this might be compromised in the future... well, it makes me restless.

That's precisely why I believe the future of food demands we aim to solve these impending societal challenges and make life richer. And naturally, this should also present business opportunities.

Of course, it won't be straightforward. Simply continuing along the same path as before, doing things the old way, probably won't work. As stated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015 and Keidanren's Society 5.0, it requires ideas and innovations never seen before.

Crucial to this are a shift in thinking, embracing challenges in the unknown, and leveraging technology.

The market for food tech—technology driving innovation in food—has seen rapid growth in recent years. And for good reason: it is indispensable for solving the social challenges ahead.

For instance, in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries—where the workforce is shrinking and aging—robots to reduce labor burdens and IT solutions for efficiency will be increasingly demanded. As dual-income and single-person households become the norm, it's easy to imagine not only a shift in who does the cooking but also cooking itself becoming more reliant on technology. An era where every household has a 3D food printer as a kitchen appliance might not be too far off. The plant-based meat alternatives gaining attention today are also a solution for reducing CO2 emissions and, ultimately, combating global warming.

"Future food" is "unknown food." To make the future brighter, we must start by "knowing."

So, how do people feel about this emerging "future food"?

According to the "Food Lifestyle Lab Survey*" conducted in November 2018, resistance still outweighs anticipation, revealing a tendency toward negative perceptions.

For example, regarding meals produced by 3D food printers, nearly half of respondents expressed resistance, citing reasons like "it seems like it would destroy food culture," "it doesn't excite me," or "it seems ethically questionable." Since humans naturally feel fear toward the unknown, this result is perhaps understandable in a way.

To make the "future of food" a bright prospect, it is desirable for everyone involved—government, businesses, and consumers—to consciously engage in this endeavor. However, progress cannot be made without understanding the actual situation.

Challenging the unknown begins with "knowing"!
Therefore, in this series, members of Dentsu Inc. 's "Food Lifestyle Lab" Future Food Project will personally experience and report on the emerging signs of the future of food.

The theme of the first installment is "insect-based foods."
Amid global food shortages, particularly concerns over protein scarcity, insects are gaining attention as a valuable protein source. But can they truly become the savior of future food?
Researcher Kato from the Food Lab will dive right in to report. Stay tuned.

*6th "Food Lifestyle Lab Survey":

Survey Method: Online Survey
Survey Period: November 16 (Fri) - 18 (Sun), 2018
Survey Area: All 47 prefectures nationwide
Respondents: Ages 15–79
Sample Size: 1,200 people
Survey Period: Video Research Ltd.