Feeding a Smart City

Abstract

This chapter looks at what it takes to feed those living in a smart city. As cities increase in size and attract people from around the world, the need for food changes. Countries evolved with different viewpoints, cultures, and religions. With city populations becoming increasingly mixed, these differences create problems that are not ways obvious.

Agricultural and industrial revolutions have a codependency and steadily separated large populations from their source of food which had always been ultra-local and circular. With supply chains increasingly linear waste has also risen – not only food but in increased packaging and agricultural production no longer used for other purposes. Where once all agricultural output was valued some is no longer used. Sheep farming started not for food but wool. Large industries built up to clean, spin, and weave wool but have been displaced with more predictable synthetic fibers. Significant proportions of plastics used in food packaging and textiles end up polluting our environment with unintended harm to ecosystems and some food sources.

Along with these changes, specialism has encouraged monoculture, and large food industries have changed food supplies beyond recognition. The latest revolutions have been largely about data increasing the understanding and ability to revive the circular approach. There is still, however, a need for increased circularity of data, water, and nutrients to improve efficiencies and reduce waste.