FOOD 2024

In the six years since our first Food issue, several of What the Future’s future scenarios have come to fruition. Editor Matt Carmichael looks at those shifts and others that will shape the decade to come, from obesity medications to politicization.

Ipsos Strategy3’s Trevor Sudano sets the table for the issue with a look at three key forces reshaping Americans’ food and drink habits: personalization, politicization and sustainability.

Kate MacKenzie, director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, explains what it takes to feed 1 million school children at scale — and how institutions can influence healthier eating for people and the planet.

Ipsos’ Anne Hunter explains how food manufacturers can maximize sales in every environment by understanding the distinct needs of consumers and professional food buyers.

As demand for protein expands, brands will need to innovate quickly and strategically to meet these needs without overly relying on any one innovation, says Cargill’s Florian Schattenmann.

New AI tools can help brands keep up with fast-moving social conversations to spot industry signals and trends to steer smarter innovation, says Ipsos’ Joe Lonek.

GLP-1s could revolutionize Americans’ diets, but brands and businesses need to consider these treatments in context, according to Erin Lash, director of consumer sector equity research for Morningstar.

GLP-1s have the potential to transform not just Americans’ diets, but their broader lifestyles and cross-category consumption habits. To get the complete picture, brands need human-centric research, says Ipsos’ Alexandra Stiver.

Better quality and differentiated benefits have driven cost-conscious consumers to more private-label brands, but the bigger opportunity is what comes next, according to TreeHouse Foods’ Amit Philip.