Change is in the air, but it’s not the seasons. I’m talking about food. Humanity is growing faster than ever and leaving a wake of bones in the process.

Whether or not you practice sustainability, the volume of American  meat consumption simply can’t last across the globe. Imagine 7 billion people, each competing to get their 270 lbs of meat per year (the 2012 average per American). Scared yet? Compare that to the 2007 world average of 102.5 lbs per year and it’s clear we’re approaching a new age famine.

There are other ways of going about this, of course. We could all be vegetarians for example, but forcing others to eat that way raises endless ethical issues. More importantly, that’s akin to saying we could stop using gasoline if we just stopped driving. Great in theory, improbable at best.

Instead, we need to start thinking progressively. How can we use plants to make believable meat alternatives? How can we print meat on a petri dish?  How can we get everyone to eat just a little less?

Bill Gates, former Microsoft CEO has taken up many of these same questions and started a feature called The Future of Food. Do yourself a favor and take a peek.

In the coming weeks I’ll be starting a series of posts called The Feast and Famine piecing together the foods headed to our plates and what we’ll do when they get here. If any related news piques your curiosity leave a quick comment and I’ll try to integrate it in the discussion.

Think ahead and be good to each other.

-J. Iufer