Global warming and climate change lead to large-scale abnormal weather systems. The co-occurrence of multiple droughts and heatwaves in recent years has seriously threatened global food production. CityU’s Department of Public and International Affairs (PIA) has launched a series of webinar events with the support by Rabobank, entitled “The Future of Food: Seeking Sustainable Solutions” since March 2022, inviting renowned figures such as Mark BITTMAN, Anna LAPPÉ, Temple GRANDIN and Peter SINGER to present recommendations that are paramount in reorienting food systems. Mind-blowing dialogues between the guest speakers in the past two webinars brought global audience many insights on the industrial farming and seeking opportunities of plant-based / alternative proteins.
Photo: The interview with George Monbiot (top left) attracted a global audience of university and secondary school students, and a wide range of professionals.
The third online event of the series was held on 1 February 2023 through Zoom, attended by over 100 audience worldwide. Sonalie FIGUEIRAS of Green Queen appeared again as the moderator and interviewed the guest speaker George MONBIOT, who is an award-winning author and investigative journalist in the UK. In the interview, George introduced his new book Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet, and proposed ways to sustainably feed a growing global population at low environmental cost. George has read over 5,000 research papers in writing the book, trying to prove why livestock farming is the world’s greatest cause of environmental destruction, and envisage a new future for food and for humanity by adoption of new food technology such as microbial fermentation and precision fermentation.
George expressed his optimistic attitude towards alternative protein and the application of precision fermentation in future. “At the moment, we’re still at the bottom of the S curve for new technologies like precision fermentation, like realistic alternative meats made out of plant or microbial products, [like] cell-cultured meat and the rest of it…And what we’ve seen happening in the last few months suggests that we’re beginning to move into the second phase of the S curve, which is off the bottom and just starting to climb,” he said. George quoted examples of the first approved cell-cultured meat in Singapore, and in the US, and also the improved plant-based meat substitutes in the market.
In the second part of the online event, secondary and university students from Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and Switzerland asked George thought-provoking questions. For example, Lance LAU, the 13-year-old young climate activist from Hong Kong, asked George how can young people be involved in stopping livestock farming. Besides, a Food Science and Human Nutrition student from National University of Singapore, raised a question about ways to find a balance between precision fermentation and livestock farming. It is hopeful to see young people’s enthusiasm towards environmental protection. The online event ended in heated discussion, and the audience brought home new inspirations to make changes in lives. “And with society, we know where the tipping point is - it’s about 25% of people dedicated to a new approach. Once you can reach 25% of the population, and persuade them to get behind a new idea, then that change becomes very hard to stop,” George concluded his sharing with hopes.
For those who missed the online events, you are welcome to view the videos in PIA’s YouTube Channel.
Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet by George Monbiot is published by Penguin, click here to know more about the details.
