Will Digital Automation Also Change the Way We Consume Food Today? (Updated)

Digital automation has already changed the way we shop and consume food today. Will it also change the way we eat?

E-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba have changed consumer behaviour dramatically. Consumers now prefer to order their groceries online rather than visit grocery stores. This trend is expected to continue as consumers become more comfortable ordering goods through mobile devices.

Using these services to order food is likely to become more commonplace as consumers become accustomed to shopping online. Some companies are already experimenting with automated meal delivery services. For example, HelloFresh, a German company, delivers fresh ingredients straight to customers’ doors.

Today, technology has transformed our lives in various ways, from how we communicate via our mobile phones to how we shop (also via mobile phones most times). There is hardly anything that the digital revolution has not affected.

But what if I told you that the next big thing in the world of technology is to disrupt the way we eat? I am talking about the rise of digital automation, which completely changes how we consume foods today.

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What Is Digital Automation?

It is the automation of a process previously done manually, such as using an app to order your groceries online or requesting your car maintenance from a website instead of calling for service yourself.

We can also view it as the complex interaction and use of automation technologies in manufacturing and production processes to reduce costs and increase efficiency or as a computer program designed to perform tasks automatically without human intervention.

How Has Automation Changed the World?

Automation has had a profound impact on society. It has enabled us to live longer, healthier lives. It has also made our jobs easier and allowed us to work less. It has even helped us to make better decisions much faster than before.

The rapid proliferation of digital technology has enabled people to create and distribute new products, services, and business models to prosper immensely. It has led to economic growth for many countries across the globe. But it has also created additional problems.

For example, how do we know whether these automated systems are safe? How will they affect people who have lost their job because of automation? And: What happens when machines take over all aspects of life?

I want to discuss today if digital automation will also change how we consume food.

The Future of Food

Today, much of the global population still relies on farming methods used thousands of years ago. This means that many farmers around the globe rely heavily on manual labour instead of digital technologies, advanced technologies or precision-farming technologies to produce food for everyone.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the world population will reach 9.1 billion by 2050. For that amount of people to be fed, the global food supply has to grow by 70%. For Africa, which is projected to be home to about 2 billion people by then, farm productivity must accelerate faster than the global average to avoid continued mass hunger. The food challenges in Africa are multipronged: The population is growing, but weather changes, shorter fallow periods, and rural-urban migration that deprives farming communities of young people exacerbate low farm productivity and threatens it. In Northern Nigeria, herders are moving south looking for pasture as their ancestral lands face severe deforestation. The Shebelle River, which supports many farmers, is drying up in Somalia, causing additional pain in the war-torn country. Higher food demand, stunted yield potential, and increasingly worse farmland must stimulate a redesigned agro-sector for assured food security. Agriculture accounts for over 30% of the continent’s GDP and employs over 60% of its working population. For decades, African governments have used many policy instruments to improve farm productivity. But most farmers are still only marginally improving yields. Some continue to use traditional processes that depend heavily on historical norms or tools like hoes and cutlasses that have not evolved for centuries. In some Igbo communities in Nigeria, it’s common for farmers to plant according to the moon’s phases and attribute variability in their harvests to gods rather than to their methods. (fao.org)

Does automation only disrupt the workforce of past decades, or will automated processes also change how we consume food today? Digitisation affects every industry, but there are some industries more than others. Food production is one of them. Is it essential to think about automating food production for the future?

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How Does Technology Affect the Food Industry?

Undoubtedly, the food and beverage industry is one of the most critical industries in terms of economic value. It contributes a significant amount to many nations’ GDP. And it employs several million people worldwide. This means that the impact on society, as well as employment opportunities, is enormous.

The food packaging industry has also found immense success using robots and automation. As per estimates, robots produce approximately 95% of packages. The food processing technology is currently valued at over US$32 billion.

Automation is now necessary for the food industry to address the required levels of quality control, production speed, labour shortages and overall profitability. In the future, expect more automation on the food processing factory floor.

How Is Automation Useful in the Food Industry?

Robots and artificial intelligence are already being used across various industries, including manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, education, finance, etc. But it seems like they have not yet reached their full potential for the food sector.

Innovations in seeds, fertilisers and crop protection have multiple benefits. For example, gene editing presents new opportunities for the way crops are produced and improved–it has the potential to boost yields, increase disease resistance, improve taste and nutritional value, and tackle allergens. Unlike genetic modification, gene editing is based on a natural process. (nature.com)

The combination of higher food demand, stunted yield potential, and increasingly worse farmland must stimulate a redesigned agro-sector for assured food security. Click To Tweet

However, any technology that interferes with nature is not entirely immune from unintended consequences, and gene editing has raised environmental, human health and ethical concerns. Some researchers claim that new genetic-engineering techniques such as CRISPR could cause “genetic havoc” As a result, some experts have argued that gene editing in the US has escaped necessary regulation. The EU’s high court ruled that the authorities should regulate gene-edited plants the same way as GMOs were in 2018, confusing many plant scientists. But the EU’s new Farm to Fork Strategy acknowledges that new biotechnologies may play a role in increasing sustainability and states that, in response to requests from member states, the Commission will look into the benefits of new genomic techniques. (nature.com)

However, any technology that interferes with nature is not entirely immune from unintended consequences, and gene editing has raised environmental, human health and ethical concerns. Some researchers claim that new genetic-engineering techniques such as CRISPR could cause “genetic havoc” As a result, some experts have argued that gene editing in the US has escaped necessary regulation. The EU’s high court ruled that the authorities should regulate gene-edited plants the same way as GMOs were in 2018, confusing many plant scientists. But the EU’s new Farm to Fork Strategy acknowledges that new biotechnologies may play a role in increasing sustainability and states that, in response to requests from member states, the Commission will look into the benefits of new genomic techniques. (nature.com)

Many experts believe we will soon automate most of the jobs currently performed by humans. And this includes those who work as farmers or chefs.

Will Food Service Be the next to Get Automated?

The future of food will shift from manual labour and human intervention towards more intelligent machines. This means restaurants can automate this process instead of manually preparing meals for customers using advanced technology and software-based solutions.

This trend could have far-reaching implications on how people choose their food options and serve at home or dining out. There will be less food waste than the current waste produced by food service businesses, especially in developed countries.

What Does It Mean for Consumers?

It means a lot more convenience and less time spent on grocery shopping. It will be easier to find exactly what your family needs. And it will make sure that no one goes hungry!

The future of food consumption looks bright with the help of artificial intelligence. But how can this new technological innovation benefit us as individuals and society? Let me explain:

1. AI-powered robots are already making life simpler. They can perform repetitive tasks much faster than humans. These include cleaning homes, caring for pets, delivering groceries, cooking dinner, etc.
2. They can learn and adapt to different situations besides simple tasks.
3. Using robotics in the food and food packing industries is increasing.
4. As incomes rise across the African continent, growing consumer demand for food and beverages will coincide with business-to-business growth in agro-processing. (brookings.edu)

What Is the “Internet of Things” And Will It Apply to Our Food?

There has been an increase in demand for automated kitchens due to the popularity of online ordering services. Restaurants are looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. One solution would be to replace human chefs with robotic ones.

As mentioned earlier, many manufacturers are developing robots and other autonomous vehicles. Once fully functional, they will eliminate drivers and additional human labour in the farms and plantations.

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The Rise of Smart Food

In the food industry, ‘smart food’ is a growing trend. As such, innovative food companies provide consumers with ready-to-go meals that contain nutritional value compared to an entire meal. Innovative technology has long been behind the scenes at food and beverage companies.

Smart food crops are hardy, highly nutritious, and can endure a changing climate. Producing, accessing, and consuming nutritionally rich and diverse foods is central to overcoming malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.

This solution addresses some of the most significant global issues in unison: poor diets (from malnutrition to obesity), environmental issues (climate change, water scarcity and environmental degradation), and poverty. They hold the potential for a significant impact on large global problems.

The Future of Food Consumption

According to some experts, there are currently 811 million people worldwide living in hunger as of 2020, and in 30 years, there will be another 2 billion on the planet. Our food production will need to increase by 56% to feed everyone, but without significant changes, we won’t be able to do this sustainably. The future of food consumption will include various things, from lab-grown meat, edible insects, and seaweed, a more substantial shift towards plant-based foods to massive changes in food production and agriculture.

Experts claim that by 2050, there will likely be nine billion people to feed, and our planet is already under stress. Food consumption is expected to increase by 14% per decade in the next four decades. How food was produced in the past has led to countless problems.

The Impact of Digital Technology on Food Consumption

Various experts have said digital devices may positively and negatively affect food consumption. For example, being distracted by technology during mealtimes may decrease the amount of food a person eats, nutrition scientists have suggested. Also, a higher knowledge level of the consumer leads to a more significant effect of digital technology on the consumption side of food. On the farm, digital technology can increase efficiency and environmental sustainability by reducing the over-use of precious resources, such as water.

The Role of Data Science in Food Consumption

Data science helps food industry professionals with daily operations, quality control and marketing. It plays a significant role in nutrigenomics analysis, as it helps to find patterns predicting future outputs. A food manufacturer can analyse stock consumption trends based on data science and its associated methodologies. Data science and analytics are changing the food industry for the better.

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FAQ

How has automation changed our lives?

It is commonly believed that automation benefits businesses in several ways, including higher production rates and higher productivity, better products and services, and more efficient use of materials. Besides affecting individual workers, automation has an impact on society in general. Modern automation systems utilise robotics to perform most production line tasks done by people, including packaging items into boxes and loading them into trucks. The transformation of the communications industry is another example of how automation has enhanced people’s lives worldwide. On the one hand, automation often creates as many jobs as it destroys over time. Humans could resist change or start to value human work more than its automated counterpart.

As automated technology continues its fast-paced evolution, it’s difficult to predict what new jobs will exist for humans in the coming years and decades. The rise of robots will boost productivity and economic growth. And it will lead to the creation of new jobs in yet-to-exist industries. At transportation terminals, automation is increasing productivity and creating safer work environments. Automation boosts productivity and creates secure work settings in the transportation sector. For instance, automation technologies, and artificial intelligence, in particular, are being introduced and controlled by comparatively few people. We often think of the rise of automation as a modern trend – but throughout history, waves of mechanisation have changed people’s working lives.

What was the impact of automation?

The impact of automation on individuals and societies has been profound. On one level, many otherwise unpleasant and time-consuming tasks are now being done by robots. Automation has the potential to increase productivity. In addition to increasing output, it can improve quality and safety in the workplace. Automating many jobs in the next ten to fifteen years will cause many other jobs to come into existence and change many more.

How does automation change the society?

But there is a strong argument for how automation has increased globalisation, world commerce and the fantastic development of international communication. Increased efficiency, productivity and lower costs all translate to healthier profit margins for small and large businesses.

Why is the automation so important nowadays?

Automation reduces time, effort and cost, reducing manual errors and giving your business more time to focus on your primary objectives. Repetitive tasks can be completed faster. Automating processes ensure high-quality results as each job is performed identically, without human error. An automated industry gains added value, productivity and technology, which contributes to reducing costs, increasing production, and being more efficient. Opportunities to automate standard workplace processes are everywhere, which is why automation is becoming a common element of every business. Software, machine learning, and robotics quickly make it possible for companies to accomplish more with fewer workers. Automation solutions are based on your unique needs and goals and pay for themselves quickly due to lower operating costs, reduced lead times, and increased output. Business process automation eliminates the bottlenecks that lead to lost time and revenue. Business automation allows people to work in better jobs. They no longer need to do all the redundant, tedious tasks. They can be automated.

How does automation make life easier?

In manufacturing, automation speeds up production, enabling companies to create and sell new products faster. Automation also frees human workers to handle the imaginative side of things, leading to better product variety. Imagine the possibilities that self-driving cars offer people who are disabled. AI and automation have revolutionised manufacturing, with robots working alongside humans on factory floors.

How does automation help human beings?

As a result of automation, employees are freed from tedious, labour-intensive duties and can focus on jobs that require critical thinking.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, the future of food consumption will be driven by data science. And while this may sound scary, it also means that consumers will benefit from better information about their food.

Digital automation will not only automate cooking but also change how we consume food. Food retail as we know it will end as most consumers turn to digital automation and meet their demands on-demand, off-premise. Many people will stop worrying about eating healthy because the convenience of on-demand healthy food will surpass the cost and effort you take to go to a supermarket to get your vegetables.

In developed countries, food companies are automating and using digital processes, which we consider wrong because workers supporting digital infrastructure will need specialised ICT skills, such as coding and cybersecurity. In contrast, all workers will need generic ICT skills to operate digital technologies across the food sector. But let us not forget that food startups also use automated technology to create food products that could create new jobs.

It has not yet happened in sub-Saharan Africa the way it exists in Europe and the USA, but it will happen. The question is how you want this automation to take place for society to have a favourable view.

Will digital automation also change the way we consume food today? Yes, if you look at the rise of on-demand food services like Zomato and UberEats. These platforms offer convenience to customers with their minimum order size, competitive pricing and doorstep delivery.

What are the ways to keep the customer happy and satisfied with automated technology? Will digital automation change the way we consume food today?

I’d love to know what you think. Please share your thoughts on our social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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