IBM says to expect 5 big changes in the next 5 years

Food is about to change.

(Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock/Big Think)
  • IBM's 2019 5 in 5 predicts major changes on the horizon.
  • Food chain technology, from farmers' financing to desktop pathogen sensors, is about to explode.
  • IBM and others have big ideas about reducing famine and food-borne illness.
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How antibiotics used in factory farming destroy our microbiomes

Good bacteria are our friends. We need to protect them.

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  • More and more research nowadays links good gut flora to several health benefits, such as the inhibition of Alzheimer's to a fast metabolism.
  • Since we're over prescribed antibiotics, and because much of the meat we consume comes from animals that were fed antibiotics, we are destroying much of the good bacteria, and often at the risk — because of our diets — of replenishing them.
  • A well-rounded diet that's light in animal protein, high in macronutrients, and supplemented with a good intake of prebiotics can ensure we're keeping probiotics flourishing.
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Lab-grown meat's steady march to your plate

As costs go down and the benefits become more clear, can we afford not to eat lab-grown meat?

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  • Just a few years ago, the price of a lab-grown hamburger had five figures.
  • Today, that price has gone down to just $11.
  • Even if it's cheap, tastes the same, and preserves the environment, will people actually eat meat grown in a lab?
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A.I. turns 57 million crop fields into stunning abstract art

Detailed (and beautiful) information on 57 million crop fields across the U.S. and Europe are now available online.

Image: OneSoil
  • Using satellite images and artificial intelligence, OneSoil wants to make 'precision farming' available to the world.
  • The start-up from Belarus has already processed the U.S. and Europe, and aims for global coverage by 2020.
  • The map is practical, and more — browse 'Random Beautiful Fields' at the touch of a button.
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On factory farms, the death rate of pig sows is soaring

It's not yet clear why this is happening, but there are plenty of suspects

(Farm Watch)
  • A rise in mortality for factory farm pig sows has growers worried.
  • There are some obvious possible reasons, but studies are underway.
  • Rise in deaths points toward a need for more humane treatment of pigs.
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