Climate change seems likely to transform our lives in many ways — from settlement and transportation to the way we work, produce, and consume. One thing it will completely reshape, through the food crisis it imposes, is our eating and drinking habits.

Looking at developments in the field of food and drink, and news on the subject in the world press, we can say that very interesting days await us all.

We know that farms engaged in cattle breeding have a major problem: methane emissions. When cows are fed, their stomachs ferment plant material into a digestible form. This process results in the animals releasing methane through belching.

Since methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that can trap more heat in the Earth’s atmosphere than carbon dioxide, scientists and entrepreneurs have already begun working on solutions. For example, the Swiss-British agricultural technology company Mootral… They set out to develop a solution for milk — one of the important products we benefit from animals — and have developed a garlic and citrus blend that does not affect the yield or taste of milk but can reduce methane emissions from dairy cows by up to 38%. Thirty-eight percent is a significant figure. In fact, they are trying to incorporate the milk obtained from animals fed with this method into people’s diets by producing ice cream from it.

Of course, finding a solution for milk alone is not enough. Work is also underway to produce meat without methane emissions and make it available for human consumption. There are many initiatives for synthetic meat production (we can also call it cultured meat). Cultured meat produced in reactors has already begun to be offered to consumers in several countries. In this field, Singapore and the United States stand out in particular. Singapore became the first country to allow the sale of synthetic meat a few years ago. In the US, some companies have already received approval to launch cultured meat products on the market.

Efforts are also underway to produce meat not only in reactors but also on a plant-based basis. For example, Steakholder Foods has created the “world’s first” plant-based 3D-printed eel. Sausages are among the similarly “produced” products. The Swedish alternative meat brand Peas of Heaven has produced a sausage with one end completely meat, the middle a meat-plant blend, and the other end entirely plant-based.

There are also other solutions being developed to replace animal-derived protein. One of these is “insects.” In particular, the grasshopper is seen as an insect with significant potential. For example, according to a law passed in Finland, it is possible to roast grasshoppers or mealworms, grind them into flour, and mix them into bread flour to meet protein needs. In our country, in the Aksu district of Antalya province, there is also an enterprise engaged in grasshopper production, primarily marketing its output abroad. Grasshoppers stand out as a sustainable alternative due to their high protein content and low environmental impact.

We have talked quite a bit about eating habits, but not much about drinking. Recent research shows that due to extreme weather events intensified by climate change, many beverages loved around the world are at risk. For example, wine is just one of the beverages facing the threat of extinction.

Some pilot studies also show that the rapid change observed in the field of food may soon also apply to beverages. For example, there are some studies in the field of synthetic wine production.

We will continue to observe developments together. Who knows, maybe one day we will witness the times, just like in old science fiction cartoons, when we could swallow a tiny pill and feel as if we had enjoyed a lavish meal and our favorite drink.

Until the next article, stay healthy…

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