How to stop producing food like it’s 1999

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Read time: 3 minutes 48 seconds

Hi friend👋,

The food industry is notoriously slow in embracing tech. But this year it’s taking off.

With the world population growing (and aging), the demand for food is skyrocketing. Food suppliers are now in a race against time, needing to boost production while maintaining (dare we say, improving?) quality and optimise for sustainability.

The big hope lies in robotics.

So today’s issue, we will dive into the world of food robotics:

1. [Insights]: 🤖 Robots Take the Field... and the Kitchen

2. Fast Snacks:

   [Good News Food]: 🥬 Rewe, Germany's supermarket giant just opened their first fully plant-based supermarket

   [Good News Climate]: 🧑‍⚖️ Swiss women win landmark climate case at Europe top human rights court

   [Personal]: 📗 I did it - I wrote a book

3. [Community Space]: 🙌 job seeking friend + a cool agency for agricultural economics

1. [Insights]: 🤖 Robots Take the Field... and the Kitchen

Robots are making their way into all stages of food - starting from agriculture and food processing to packaging and delivery. Not only that, but automation has also found its place in restaurant kitchens.

Where robots are being used in food:

1- Agriculture

The buzz is real - agriculture drones are set to explode from a $1.5 billion market in 2019 to a jaw-dropping $10.5 billion by 2027. They're out there planting, weeding, and harvesting, and even babysitting crops and cattle.

2- Food Processing

The use of robots in food processing operations is more efficient and sanitary than the employment of human labor.

They're faster, cleaner, and don't indulge in sick days or salary negotiations. Food safety? Check. Production speed? Double-check.

3- Packaging

It's a robotic ballet - from wrapping up your snack in a wrapper (Primary packaging), in an individual package (Secondary packaging) or to stacking massive boxes for shipment (Palletizing).

4- Robotics In The Kitchen

The automotive industry has been betting on automation for a long time now.

In the early days it was all about manual labor. People assembled each part of the car.

But today, car manufacturing looks more like this:

Will the same happen to food production?

Today in most commercial kitchens, it is still human hands cutting the vegetables. It’s human hands stirring the soup.

But my guess: not for long anymore.

While humans are still chopping onions, robots are gearing up to take over, promising consistency and cutting costs, which, by the way, make up about 30% of restaurant expenses.

Although the costs of these automation technologies are high, it has been proven to be cost-effective in the long run (in business talk: you are trading Opex for Capex)

Most of these robots are single-purpose robots, meaning they are able to perform a single task, such as stir a pot, chop vegetables or serve customers. But more sophisticated multi-use robots such as this fully automated robot restaurant by Goodbytz are on their way:

2024 the robo-restaurant wave has really kicked off: two big US food giants made moves into fully automated restaurants.

1. Mc Donalds openend it’s first fully automated restaurant in Texas, US. How crazy must that feel? You walk into a restaurant and the only human there is you. Check it out here.

   

   credits: foodiemunster/ TikTok

2. Steve Ells, founder and former CEO of the fast casual Mexican restaurant chain Chipotle, re-entered the food world with a robot concept.

   Apparently it was Bill Gates who inspired Ells for his new plant-based, technology-driven eatery. After stepping down as executive chairman of Chipotle, Ells spent some time off and came across Gates’ book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,” which outlines environmental solutions to eliminate emissions.

   One of these solutions is eating less meat, something that accounts for 60% of all emissions from food, which itself contributes to a third of the planet’s emissions.

   So with his new restaurant chain, Kernel, Ells is leveraging robots and AI to increase efficiency, reduce food waste, and improve food safety while also serving customers delicious plant-based fo

5- Food Delivery

Different companies are developing robotic delivery services allowing restaurants, bakeries, and other businesses to use robots for delivery. These robots are operated remotely and can carry up to 10 kilos. They are also equipped with alarms and cameras to prevent any theft attempts.

Check out this cute little guy from Oakland-based startup Cartken:

Addressing Job Displacement

As robots integrate into various sectors, there is a natural concern about job displacement. However, I believe this transition also represents an opportunity for workforce transformation. By automating routine tasks, employees can be retrained for more complex and rewarding roles.

The big picture:

We see robots are making their way into all aspects of food. Especially restaurants are going wild for robotics and automation — not just to save money on labor costs, but also because it can reduce food waste, it adds efficiency - and it’s cool.

Yes, but: There are still plenty of bugs to work out — as anyone who has seen fail videos of delivery robots can attest.

But what I like remembering; what we see today, will be the worst robot technology ever out there. From here the robots are only getting smarter, and honestly, I already find them pretty impressive.

What are your thoughts on robots in food? Hit reply and share your thoughts.

2. Today’s fast snacks

[Good News Food]:  🥬 Rewe, Germany's supermarket giant just opened their first fully plant-based supermarket

German supermarket chain Rewe has opened their first fully plant-based supermarket, called ‘REWE voll pflanzlich’. It is located at the well-known Warschauer Brücke in Berlin, within walking distance from Berghain.

I went to the opening and was impressed. Despite the store being rather small, the full selection of 2700+ vegan products is exciting. What I liked in particular: the price for the products range from low-cost private label to premium products, making them affordable for all income levels.

Check out the supermarket here (page is in German).

[Good News Climate]: 🧑‍⚖️ Swiss women win landmark climate case at Europe top human rights court

Boom! The European Court of Human Rights handed down a ruling that’s not just a win—it’s historic. They’ve called out a government for not stepping up on climate change, saying it straight up violates basic human rights. We’re talking about the right to live your private and family life without the looming threat of environmental disaster.

The heroes? An association of older Swiss women who said, 'Enough is enough.' They took their government to court, claiming it’s been way too chill about global warming affecting their health. And guess what? They won.

Read more here.

[Personal]: 📗 I did it - I wrote a book 

Here's the deal: Our kids are the future. They're going to be consumers and decision-makers of tomorrow. 

So, it's absolutely critical we teach them early how to make smart choices, especially when it comes to what they eat. 

I took this mission to heart and wrote a book aimed at the little ones. It’s all about the big impact our diets have on our health and the planet. 

So far the feedback to the book is strongly positive.

If you also want to check it out, you can get a copy at your favourite book shop or here online (in German only).

3. [Community space]: 🙌

• Teresa Steinhof: is an old university friend of mine - she spent the last year in the pharma industry and is currently on the look for a new challenge in the field of sustainable food systems, planetary health, urban ecology/urban transformation or agriculture. If you know of something, get in touch with her.

• Meet Juliane Kaufmann, the managing director of HFFA, which you can check out here. HFFA is not your average consultancy; they're a crew of sharp minds focused on the nitty-gritty of agricultural economics. Their mission? To revolutionize the agrifood system. How? By cracking the economic code that underpins it all. They're out to show that going sustainable isn’t just an eco-friendly move—it’s a smart financial play too. Does that sound interesting? Reach out to Juliane.

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