The Future of Food

By: Scientific American

Narrated by: Coleen Marlo

Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

With global population numbers projected to increase by two billion by 2050, a veritable food crisis is on the horizon. In this audiobook we examine some of the complex factors involved in the coming “food crisis” and the innovative ideas and technologies designed to increase food production sustainably. We also examine current industry methods to increase production and the controversies surrounding them, including not only hot-button issues like genetically modified (or GM) and processed foods but also food safety and the physical effects of the modern diet.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2017 Scientific American, a division of Nature America, Inc. Scientific American is a registered trademark of Nature America, Inc.Scientific American, a division of Nature America, Inc. Scientific American is a registered trademark of Nature America, Inc. (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Dated data at launch.

I was looking forward to this book and am quite disappointed in it. Published in 2021, most all of the data is from 2006-2013, with an average of 2011. Agriculture is evolving quickly right now and most new innovations aren't discussed at all because they simply didn't exist in 2011.

In short, if you are a professional In the field or quite familiar with the ag. industry, you'll get very little out of this book. If you have next to no knowledge of the industry give it a try, but you'll be getting some dated views.

There is a clear attempt to mitigate bias, but it is still present. The section on GMOs is an obvious example, which isn't helped by the lack of any new science on the topic.

Given the rise in popularity this topic has been going through, I hoped Scientific American was going to use the opportunity to publish a comprehensive overview of modern theory and applications in the sector. Instead, they published a limited overview of the sector as it was known a decade ago.