I wanted to know if it is possible to raise people’s awareness by envisaging the future based on our diets. When we are not able to see the direct link, it may be possible to make more people aware of the issue by showing the possible future based on our decisions in a game setting? My goal is to create a beautiful but honest truth about the future generated by our food choices.
I was initially curious about the position of food in our society. I asked how I could use food as a means of connecting people. Eating has been an important social activity throughout human history. When I traced this activity back to the beginning, I found urbanization and agriculture were bound together. They need each other. The discovery of grain by our ancient ancestors enabled man to produce a food source that was large and stable enough to support permanent settlement. This made me curious to know where the food for our cities comes from today.
Having the choice to buy or consume is a luxury in many parts of the world. As we live in a consumption-driven society, the big supermarket chains first evaluate the purchasing power of a neighborhood before they open a new chain. This leads to food deserts in some poor neighborhoods, which creates inequalities in access to healthy food resources. When a supersize meal at a fast-food chain makes more economic sense than having organic broccoli, eating the right food becomes a socio-economic issue. My goal for this project is to increase awareness of the fact that eating, consuming, is about much more than just health and enjoyment. It can enable us to build an equal environment for people, animals, and nature. When we eat and consume, our actions mean a great deal more. It is like casting a vote for the future world that we want to live in.
Today, 54% of the world’s population live in urban areas, and this figure is expected to increase to 66% by 2050. Living in urban areas has separated us from nature and the sources of our food. Urbanization creates convenience, security and an efficient society, but, at the same time, it has caused water shortage, deforestation, and desertification in many parts of the world. To produce low-price and large quantities of food for people in the growing cities, companies choose to base agriculture on monoculture, high livestock concentration, antibiotics in animal feed and pesticide in our food chain. My goal is to make people aware of the consequences.