The future of food - 6 Minute English

With population growth and climate change, we might have to radically change our diets in the future. There are all sorts of developments to help feed us in the future, from growing artificial meat to developing insect-based foods. In 6 Minute English we discuss what we might be tucking into in the future and serve up some useful English vocabulary.

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬:
Does recycling coffee cups make a difference?

The art of tipping

Do our political views change as we get older?

How can I help the environment?

𝐕𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲:
𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭 - a person who studies and predicts how we will live in the future

𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝 - a way to refer to something that is popular now or that is becoming popular

𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐨 - become very interested in

𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 - a feeling you have based on your knowledge and experience that something might be true even though you don’t have any real evidence

𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 - taking into your body, i.e. eating and drinking

𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 - strict, strong

[Cover image: Getty images]

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[DuongTrongHue]

I have a hunch that this channel will soon become a trend for learning English. Although it's challenge to digest all content it comes up. I'm latching onto it.

[ucotvxm]

There is a trend for learning English with BBC😃

[GrantCareerCoaching]

I really hope artificial meat eventually replaces the factory farming industry. That would be so much healthier for people, animals, and our planet. Great lesson as always, BBC! 👍👍👍

[dmdusqi]

It is very important to know, what we are going to ingest. Stringent measures are necessary. Modern or modified food (it seems for me the same) should be proved properly, so it doesn’t damage our health. Of course food can soon become a burning issue because of growing population and a lack of land for agriculture work. I heard, that Singapore solves this problem successfully. They build high facilities and plant different crops inside under artificial light. They also can control nutritional compounds in water for better process. It’s amazing.

[olinafabio]

Thanks for this important lesson. Although there is a trend about eating artificial food in the future, it remains true that some of those foods are not healthy. Governments should apply stringent rules regarding those foods, but restrictions should be based on scientific facts rather than personal hunches. Futurologist could, thus, help in this process.

[phuongtuyentruong]

Learning english online is becoming popular. I'm latch onto BBC learning english, particular in 6 minutes english program :) I have a hunch that I will be good at english in the near future ^ ^ Thanks and greeting from VN.

[vinitarai]

Thanku so much for sharing such useful videos..❤❤❤

[farxod]

Thanks for this important information!!!

[rudolfblaha]

bbc learning english is the best channel

[nguyenminhthao]

There are a lot of useful vocabularies in this video ! Well- done ! thanks so much, BBC <3

[ngocyen]

The lesson is useful. I like the lesson like that. I think if BBC post transcripts of video, it is greater. I practice listening skill, then i summarize main idea, finally i check with transcript. Therefore i will know my fault. Thank you very much 😁

[anhtho]

The futurologist tcarry out their research on the basis of a hunch. They will take a deeper look into how we ingest food, and how trends and diet are formed. A lot of people latched on to this topic and a minor portion of them are too strigent

[djalilovdostonbek]

Wonderful and informative conversation

[NguyenNguyen-kjwy]

BBC learning English helps me very much, I can listen better and learn more vocabulary

[simplerim]

Transcript
Note: This is not a word for word transcript

Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English. I'm Neil.

Sam
And I'm Sam.

Neil
Sam, have you considered the future of food much?

Sam
Well I think in the future I might have a sandwich – in about 30 minutes in the future.

Neil
Not quite what I meant! With the population of the world increasing along with the negative effects of climate change and other global issues, we might have to radically change our diets in the future.

Sam
Ah, yes I have heard about this – there are all sorts of developments from growing artificial meat to developing insect-based foods.

Neil
Mmm, tasty. Well we’ll look a little more at this topic shortly, but we start, as ever, with a question and it’s a food-based question. In which continent did tomatoes originate? Is it…

A: South America

B: Africa

C: Asia

What do you think, Sam?

Sam
No idea. I’m going to say Africa, but that’s just a guess.

Neil
OK. Well I will reveal the answer later in the programme. On a recent edition of BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme there was an interview with Dr Morgaine Gaye. She is a futurologist. A futurologist is someone who studies and predicts the way we will be living in the future. Her particular area of expertise is the subject of food. What two things does she say she thinks about?

Dr Morgaine Gaye
As a food futurologist, I think about not just what we’re going to be eating in the future but why. Why that thing, why that trend, why will people suddenly latch onto that food, that way of eating that food at that particular time? And when I work for large companies, that’s what they want to know. There is an element of a hunch. And then proving or disproving that hunch.

Neil
So, what two things does she think about?

Sam
She says that as a food futurologist she thinks about what we will be eating in the future and also why we will be eating that food.

Neil
Yes, in particular she looks at why there are particular trends. A trend is what is popular now or what is becoming popular. For example, at the moment there is a trend for eating less red meat.

Sam
She also looks at why people latch onto particular trends. To latch onto here means to be very interested in something. So if you latch onto a particular food trend, you start to follow that trend, you might start eating that particular diet.

Neil
Information about future trends is very important for companies in the food business. How does she actually predict these trends?

Sam
She says she starts with a hunch. A hunch is a feeling you get that something is true. You don’t have any real evidence, but your experience and knowledge makes you think you might be right.

Neil
Let’s listen again.

Dr Morgaine Gaye
As a food futurologist I think about not just what we’re going to be eating in the future but why. Why that thing, why that trend why will people suddenly latch onto that food, that way of eating that food at that particular time? And when I work for large companies, that’s what they want to know. There is an element of a hunch. And then proving or disproving that hunch.

Neil
Dr Gaye goes on to talk about how on the subject of food, there are restrictions. Why is that?

Dr Morgaine Gaye
Food business of course has different restrictions around it because it’s about safety, we’re ingesting that. The supply chain and the labelling laws are very stringent especially in this country so it takes longer to get an ide­a from just a concept that’s discussed around a table to an actual production facility, labelled, branded, tested, marketed and put on the shelves.

Neil
So, why restrictions?

Sam
Well, it’s about safety. Because we are ingesting food, which is a way of saying we are putting it into our bodies, it has to be safe.

Neil
It can be a long process of developing a new food and getting it into the shops because of the need to be safe and meet the laws of different countries. In the UK she mentions that the food safety laws are very stringent. This means that the laws are very tough, very strict. Let’s hear Dr Gaye again.

Dr Morgaine Gaye
Food business of course has different restrictions around it because it’s about safety, we’re ingesting that, the supply chain and the labelling laws are very stringent especially in this country so it takes longer to get an ide­a from just a concept that’s discussed around a table to an actual production facility, labelled, branded, tested, marketed and put on the shelves.

Neil
Right, well before we review our vocabulary, let’s get the answer to the question. In which continent did tomatoes originate? Is it…

A: South America

B: Africa

C: Asia

Sam, what did you say?

Sam
I made a guess at Africa.

Neil
Well, I’m afraid that’s not right. Congratulations though to everyone who said South America. Right, let’s recap today’s words and expressions.

Sam
OK, well we started with the word futurologist. This is a noun to describe someone who studies and predicts the way we will be living in the future.

Neil
Then we had trend. This word can describe what is popular now and the way in which what is popular is changing. For example now we are seeing a trend for eating less red meat in some parts of the world.

Sam
If you latch onto something, you become interested in it and associate yourself with it – we heard that people very quickly latch onto food trends

Neil
Then there was hunch. A hunch is a feeling about something you think might be true even though you don’t have real evidence for it. Ingesting something means taking it into your body, so eating or drinking it.

Sam
And finally a stringent rule is a very strict rule, a tough rule or law which in connection to food is designed to make sure it is safe and of a suitable quality.

Neil
OK, thank you, Sam. That’s all from 6 Minute English. Goodbye!

Sam
Bye!

[nilo]

Thank u very much for the trendy topics and the new vocabulary.👌

[alessandromessina]

Interesting lesson, nice topic, as always!

[khoaleueh]

what a useful lesson, thank everyone in BBC Learning English Chanel for giving a informative video.

[gayathrik]

Good that your country is keen on food regulations but the Indian government is not stringent about food safety.

[letsplayroblox]

Our future can be different at all. In my opinion future of food might ne connected with chemistry. We will eat chemical foods. People might not have fruits and vegetables a lot, usually they may have chemical foods. I have no idea it's good or bad but that's people's choices of course. We won't eat meat and drink milk. The law of safety animals will be brought about. It feels like we might be vegetarians in the future. If we eat something from animals we can be put away to prison. That was my point about the topic. Thank you BBC😊