Cricket salads, lab-grown steaks and azolla burgers are expected to be top of the menu in the next 30 years in place of classic dishes such as the traditional Sunday roast or family favourite fish and chips, a recently-released report by Co-op has claimed, forecasting that by 2054, there is expected to be less reliance on imported vegetables and an increased preference for locally sourced produce. The report also states that consumers are increasingly more concerned about ethical and sustainable food.
To mark the release of Co-op’s "Responsible Retailing Report", which explores the nation’s changing views on food ethics and sustainability over the past 30 years, the convenience retailer created the images using cutting-edge AI technology and expert insight to look forward 30 years to what we will all be eating.
Experts from FixOurFood and the University of York predict that by 2054, the food Brits eat could look drastically different, with options that seem radical, and almost unbelievable in 2024, becoming the norm.
The next 30 years will see farmers and producers become more valued in society, whilst a rise in urban indoor farming across Britain will see more lab-grown meat and seafood, cultivated from animal tissues to produce steaks, burgers, tuna and even lobster, to become mainstream, which would mean a drastic change to many of the traditional dishes currently eaten in the UK, such as the Sunday roast.
Consumers will become more health conscious, with diets more flexitarian-based leading to alternative insect proteins including locusts, grasshoppers and crickets becoming part of our daily diets, either as snacks or as the protein element of a main meal.
The impact of climate change will see the likes of avocados and olives being grown in Surrey by 2054, with less reliance on imported vegetables and an increased preference for locally sourced produce. Extensive plant breeding will welcome new varieties, not known widely currently, such as the fast-growing freshwater fern azolla used for soups, salads and even burgers.
Meanwhile, supporting Fairtrade will become even more critical, with smallholder farming communities across the globe disproportionally more impacted by climate change.
Traditional preserving methods will come to the fore, as pickling of vegetables is expected to be embraced widely, to help Brits reduce food waste and to enjoy the vegetables beyond the traditional seasons, which could see additions such as Yorkshire rhubarb pickles used in dishes such as stir fries and a lentil dahl.
Whilst food diversity will improve so will cooking skills, with Brits having more leisure time to create delicious dishes following the introduction of the 4-day work week brought in by 2054.
Bob Doherty, Director of FixOurFood and Dean of the School for Business and Society at the University of York, said, “The last 30 years we have seen scientific leaps into more sustainable produce which were unimaginable to most back in 1994. From lab-grown meat to vertical farming, the future of food is set to revolutionise how we eat. By 2054, British people will have edible insects on their dinner plate, and we may see the crushing up of crickets quicker than wholegrains.
"As climate change continues to impact our planet, we'll also see a shift towards locally grown produce, with avocados grown in Surrey becoming a reality. We may even see the introduction of 3D-printed food. As we navigate the challenges of climate change, we'll need to embrace these innovations to ensure that we can feed a growing population sustainably.”
The insight comes as Co-op publishes its latest Responsible Retailing Report – the report first began in 1994 and was the first-of-its-kind study into food industry ethics. The retailer’s latest figures reveal that two-thirds (72 per cent) of consumers have become increasingly more concerned about ethical and sustainable food than in recent years - a sharp increase since 1994. The impact of climate change, animal welfare, plastic pollution and fair wages for global workers were amongst the top reasons driving this increased concern.
Unsurprisingly price remains a key driver of purchases however, with just over half (54 per cent) of consumers saying they would be willing to pay more for ethical and sustainable products - down from 62 per cent in 1994. For younger shoppers aged 18–34-year-old this does increase to 60 per cent, whilst older shoppers (55+) say they favour quality and buying British.
Food waste at home remains a key concern, with more consumers saying they now only buy the food they need (61 per cent). Also, whether a product is British (42 per cent) and if it comes in recyclable packaging (38 per cent) are amongst the other top factors for consumers when choosing what to buy.
Health was revealed to be a big concern for respondents in the latest report too, with people saying they now eat more fruit and vegetables (88 per cent) and choose healthier options (87 per cent).
Whilst clear and honest labelling was called out in 1994 as one of the biggest concerns for consumers at the time – a lot has changed across the industry, and now nearly half of our respondents (47 per cent) said it’s easy to make sustainable choices based on product labels - a big step on since 1994.
Cathryn Higgs, Head of Ethics, Sustainability and Policy at Co-op, said, "As a food industry we’ve made a lot of progress, but rightly shoppers are calling on us to do more, with honesty and integrity at the core of our decision making. At Co-op, we remain committed to providing our members and customers with responsibly sourced and innovative food options, and we’re proud to champion home-grown produce and source only 100 per cent British fresh meat, poultry and dairy.
"We also have an ambitious climate plan to reduce absolute emissions from our value chain by 48 per cent, and own operations by 66 per cent by 2030, and as part of this we continue to ensure all our packaging is easy to recycle at home or through film collection points in selected Co-op stores.”