In thinking about “What is science?”, one thing to consider is the scope of it. Science extends to just about everything, including food. This video explains how closely tied science is to food in terms of food availability concerning local availability. It insightfully claims that much of the food that is eaten on a daily basis would be inconceivable without food science and technology like refrigeration. It paints a rather scary image of a severely understocked supermarket with mostly rotten foods, highlighting the importance of science in something as routine as grocery shopping.
However, it only touches on the great importance of food science on a global scale. Without food science and technology, the way food is produced and stored/shipped as well as the functions of nearly everyone’s daily lives would be radically changed. Furthermore, without food science the 20th century would have been wrought with tragic famines. In an even known as the Green Revolution, scientists were able to develop more efficient agricultural practices, new technologies, and high yield staple crops, which were used to prevent the world’s rapidly expanding population from starving to death. So when you are thinking about what science is, think of the cold orange juice in your fridge and world a few steps closer to living in post-scarcity.
Sources:
“Availability of Food Colin Dennis, Ph.D., Previous Director-General, Campden BRI, Explains How Access to a Variety of Safe and Nutritious Foods Would Be Affected in a World without Food Science.” Availability of Food – IFT.org.
