The way we feed our population today is unsustainable for our planet. Our food production and distribution systems have caused significant harm to the environment, from biodiversity loss to greenhouse gas emissions. This unsustainable model has disproportionately impacted communities in central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia, who face food shortages and ecological devastation, while others enjoy the benefits of extravagant consumption.
However, all hope is not lost. Amsterdam-based experience design studio Tellart has developed an innovative project called ‘Dinner in 2050’ that envisions a future of sustainable food systems. This immersive AI game allows participants to discover sustainable alternatives to their favorite dishes, serving as a powerful reminder of the critical importance of sustainability.
First unveiled at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, ‘Dinner in 2050’ uses Stable Diffusion, an AI-powered image-generating software, to create personalized dishes that are sustainable within the local climate of the United Arab Emirates. Visitors gather around a table crafted from sustainable palm wood and tell the AI their favorite dish, be it falafel or sashimi.
The AI then analyzes the main ingredients and replaces the most carbon-intensive component with a sustainable alternative, generating a stunningly hyper-realistic and delicious vision of the dish’s future. For example, it might suggest replacing pork in dumplings with locally grown poultry to reduce reliance on carbon-intensive food imports and support sustainable farming practices. Other examples include animal-free dairy in ice cream, reducing water, land, and carbon emissions, and cultivated meat sausages, significantly lowering carbon emissions and water use compared to intensive livestock farming.
These AI-generated recipes provide a simple and accessible starting point for individuals to explore more sustainable food choices. The suggested substitute ingredients are readily available and don’t compromise the dish’s flavor or nutritional value. Furthermore, these alternatives often offer health benefits, being lower in saturated fat and free from excessive antibiotics and pesticides.
Tellart’s project aims to encourage people to embrace unfamiliar ingredients that are crucial for our future diets. As Maia Garau, Tellart’s strategy director, emphasizes, “Food and beverage leaders play a pivotal role in shifting society’s consumption practices, and we encourage them to develop new recipes, source for ethical ingredients and expand plant-based options.”
Matt Cottam, Tellart’s founder and principal designer, underscores the importance of making the future tangible and personal. “The future is abstract and hard to imagine, and Tellart’s work aims to make it tangible and personal. We create playful experiences about serious topics, inviting each individual to look within themselves and become part of the solution,” he states.
Ultimately, ‘Dinner in 2050’ reminds us that the future of food is in our hands. We must work together to create a sustainable food system that nourishes both our bodies and our planet.
