If you look past the awesome CGI special effects and mind-boggling time dilation shenanigans of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, you’d remember that the basic premise of the film is that the Earth is dying and no longer able to produce food for humans.

Scene from Interstellar

Food crisis is a real global threat.  But it’s a lot more complicated now than what sociologist Thomas Malthus worried about back in 1798.  Back then, his theory is that food production won’t be able to keep up with the exponential growth of population.  Today, lots of other factors are contributing to food shortage.

Climate change is the biggest of them: crops are at the mercy of rising temperature, drought and floods.  Also, heavy fertilizer use has messed up the natural chemical balanced of soil.  Land that should have been used for growing crops are being devoted for growing corns for biofuel.  Even our endless craving for meat is threatening the world’s food and water supply.

Food Crisis in the Cinema

Food shortage has become a rich fodder for the cinema.  In the 1955 film Tarantula, scientists try to develop a super food nutrient in anticipation of a future food crisis caused by overpopulation.  In Colony (2013), the plot revolves around the aftermath of climate change as the remaining humans of the world attempt to produce their own food amidst arctic conditions.

Whenever humanity’s civilization is deeply compromised (technologies, government and other institutions crash), we fall back to an agrarian way of living.  And that’s inevitable because we all have to eat.

As for Interstellar, the premise might be a bit exaggerated, but if we don’t watch out we really might be killing off every plant species on the planet with our human-induced global warming.

Ways of Making Food

Yes, we need to worry about food.  There’s shortage of it in many countries  Even First World nations are beginning to feel it too.  Shortage means soaring prices of food, which means only the rich will have the luxury to eat sumptuously and healthy while the poor go hungry.  What little is there left for them to eat is nutritionally barren.

Thankfully, scientists and engineers are rethinking food production.  The future of food just might lie in this five innovations.

Genetic Engineering
The issue of GMO foods is very polarizing.  One side believes GMO’s are just the big food corporation’s ploy to produce more crops for their products.  Meanwhile others believe it’s a legitimate solution to the world food crises, because of pest-resistant crops, better and faster yield, and enhanced nutrition.  Until we can get the final word on the true impacts of GMO on our health and the health of the planet (the plants themselves, the soil, water, and every living thing on the planet), GMO will always be a hot button topic.

Hydroponics and Aquaponics
Actually, hydroponics is not a new thing.  This process of growing plants in nutrient-rich water without any soil has been around as far back as 1627.  Electronics maker Toshiba manages one such laboratory turned farm, and they do it with carefully programmed LED lights ideal to plant growth and efficient irrigation.  The yield is reportedly better and faster, and is not dependent on weather.  (That’s why we get leafier, greener lettuce from the grocery these days.)

There’s even a home-friendly version of this, (the process is called aquaponics this time)—a Kickstarter project where an aquarium is linked to mini herb garden atop that gets its fertilizers from fish waste.

Crunchy locust as legitimate food source (Image from agri.eu)

Insects.  Someday, Westerners just might be able to overcome their aversion to insects and treat them as food, food that’s healthy and rich in protein, vitamins, and fiber.  In Asian countries, insects such as crickets, locusts, ants, termites, beetles, and even worms are already yummy delicacies.

Lab-grown meat.  Last year the world witnessed the very first tasting of lab-grown meat.  It’s science’s controversial answer to the unsustainable practice of raising livestock for meat production, which requires lots of water and converted pasture lands.  Schmeat may sound too good to be true, but it has yet to transcend people’s taste buds and appetite.

Meal-replacement drink.  Soylent, that wonder beverage that promises to replace daily meals, isn’t just for hurried office workers with no time to prepare food.  It can also help solve nutritional deficiency in impoverished countries in Africa.  Still, because food is a social event for most of us, the concept of a conveniently drinkable meal that ditches the socialness of eating might be too tough to swallow for people.