(one of four food scenarios on the topic of food futures)

Disruptive technological progress led to the Closed-loop Industrial Revolution. Humanity is becoming proficient in manipulation of matter, with the emergence of hyper-efficient technologies; computers can now be made from a handful of soil (software takes a bit more resources) and food can be grown synthetically. Not only the creation, but also breaking down of materials lead to substantial waste reduction and eventually to the appearance economically and environmentally viable closed-loop industrial systems.

Nearly every industry now works in closed loops and the pressure on natural resources has subsequently reduced. This led to the emergence of large-scale rewilding and to the blossoming of trans-local permaculture-driven design. Bucolicities, or vegetal cities are beginning to appear, built and grown within food forests. Bucolicities thrive on freegan micro-supply chains as it is now possible to collect fresh fruits and vegetables from the trees lining bike-paths or canopy walkways. The rural population dwindles as the countryside is turned into sites for regeneration of diverse eco-systems.

A wide range of cost-effective healthy food is now available, alongside extravagant, ultra-boutique and highly specialized items made possible in a widely distributed culture of general tinkeriness (almost everyone’s a maker, hacker, grower, brewer or tinkerer of some kind). For instance, more and more nano-breweries are sprouting, selling less than ten bottles a year from hyper-local geographical “appelations”. Personalised supply chains are common, often using swarms of drones to fly across cities home-delivering superfood dinners. While most foodstuffs and medicine is grown and consumed locally, the progress in closed-loop production systems re-awakened the old dream of space travel and colonisation. Astrogastronomy (aka “astrogastro”) is quickly developing, with an emphasis on food spiced with xeno-elements. Beyond planetary macro-scale supply chains focus on epicurean “moon food’ delivered through convoluted, but fully transparent systems.

In this food and health conscious society wellness and design are closely linked together. Food design became a valuable creative expertise in closed loop nutrition. Aestheticised designer foods evolved into technologically enhanced, bio-inspired forms, shapes and colours, micronutrients that carry customised drugs allowing humans to enhance our senses. Food is not only seen as fuel for our bodies, but as mutation agents able to adapt our anatomies. Dermatologists noticed the emergence of harmless cutaneous signs when the level of some toxins were higher than average. Some animals refuse instinctively food polluted with open-loop industry toxic waste, and researchers are currently investigating what seems to be new tastebuds which appeared on their tongues. Next generation swarm of delivery drones display new colors and shapes inspired by south-American rainforest birds.

Human health is seen as intrinsically linked to health of our environment. The use of antibiotics has become highly regulated in closed-loop food production. While known illnesses are well managed, society is frequently shaken by the emergence of new diseases. There are many unforeseen effects of producing so much of our food in hermetically enclosed technospheres. Reaching the limits of Closed Loop industry, scientific research has moved to previously marginalised domains such as species cohabitation and communication. Northern Europe is known for the excellence of its research in Plant Neurobiology (especially after the Nobel Prize was awarded to the Urban Plant Well-Being Research Group from Edinburgh University). Inverness University was also in the spotlight after publishing the final maps of the Human Microbiome Project. Globally, science education overcome a major shift, allowing shorter “supply chains” from information to wisdom.